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Bernard Cretier was a master of French classic cuisine

Bernard Cretier was a master of French classic cuisine
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  • Bernard Cretier was a master of French classic cuisine

    Post #1 - July 27th, 2021, 5:39 pm
    Post #1 - July 27th, 2021, 5:39 pm Post #1 - July 27th, 2021, 5:39 pm
    Bernard Cretier was a master of French classic cuisine

    Bernard Cretier was born in Vichy, France, in 1946. He and his American wife Priscilla opened this lovely, discretely elegant but unpretentious restaurant in the far away Northwest village of Lakemoor,  in Mc Henry county, in September of 76.
    The white brick stylish building looked a bit like a French country ‘’Auberge’’’such as those that you would find in Normandy or in Burgundy.
    The large windows of the two spacious dining rooms with well- spaced tables covered with white linen cloth and furnished with antiques, and traditional copper pots, opened on a pleasant small patio. Fresh flowers were always in evidence, and the silver, porcelain plates and pretty glasses were nicely arranged and classy. Art work decorated the walls, and the bar in the lobby where an impressive antique desk was serving as a hostess stand, was a very welcoming place.
    Cretier and his family lived upstairs when they opened the place, as it was the case in many traditional provincial restaurants in France in the good old days. He then moved to Lake Barrington.
    Before coming to Chicago in the late 60s, Cretier worked in the kitchens of such iconic French chefs as the Frères Troisgros and Paul Bocuse, as well as Maxim’s. In 1970 he became the executive chef at Maxim’s in Chicago were he stayed for 6 years. 
    I am sad to say that I never had an opportunity to eat at Le Vichyssois since from what I read and heard from other French chefs as well as from friends  in Chicago, I am sure that I would have loved his traditional French cuisine, that he prepared with great care and precision.
    Cretier was not an adept of the Nouvelle Cuisine and did not make a mystery of his convictions.
    His repertoire was classic French.
    His pâtés and terrines, such as quail with juniper berries, brandy-flavored duck, venison, or a simple pork country pâté were very popular.  And so was of course his Vichyssoise soup, that all American tourists used to order at Maxim’s Rue Royale in Paris, and an oyster and lobster bisque. Some of the restaurant’s favorite main courses were veal in a morel cream sauce, duck in red wine and vinegar sauce, rack of lamb with a tarragon sauce, scallops in a lobster sauce or in puff pastry, and lake trout in a Champagne sauce. Vegetables were served in small copper pans or pots, and the salad often was a mix of French endive, mâche, and haricots verts fins in raspberry vinaigrette.
    Women raved about his dark chocolate and almond base desserts.  And according to a 1984 review in the Tribune, Cretier would serve a very good grapefruit-Champagne sorbet between appetizer and entrée. Nothing was very expensive, even the daily specials that changed often.
    According to a review published in 84, that year the average cost of a dinner for two would average $ 60.00.
    It was a modest price to pay for such quality.
    Cretier decided to closed his restaurant in 2014 because, according to him, he was tired of working for so long hours.
    It is sad to lose one of the most talented representative of the traditional traditional French cuisine we had in Chicago for so many years.
  • Post #2 - July 28th, 2021, 10:38 am
    Post #2 - July 28th, 2021, 10:38 am Post #2 - July 28th, 2021, 10:38 am
    I ate at Le Vichyssois probably 6 times over the years and always had a great meal. There were two idiosyncrasies that I always loved about it. First, the waitstaff was almost entirely kids from the area, giving it a much more casual (less stuffy) feel than most nicer French restaurants. Also, they did not mark up their wine prices over time as the value went up. They would often put older bottles on the list from their cellar at crazy prices. Timing was everything, but the one I remember most was in 2010, when I saw a 1995 Harlan Cabernet on the menu for $200. I had tried this wine from the barrel when visiting Napa14 years earlier. While this is normally way above my wine budget, it was less than the $600 it was selling for at auction, so I went for it. It was fantastic and when I asked about the pricing, I was told that they base all their prices on what they paid originally for the bottle no matter how long they have held it.

    -Will
  • Post #3 - July 28th, 2021, 9:59 pm
    Post #3 - July 28th, 2021, 9:59 pm Post #3 - July 28th, 2021, 9:59 pm
    Just to point out, $60 in 1984 is $157 today. If that included wine, or even if it didn't, a pretty good deal for classic French cuisine for two.
  • Post #4 - July 28th, 2021, 10:11 pm
    Post #4 - July 28th, 2021, 10:11 pm Post #4 - July 28th, 2021, 10:11 pm
    tjr wrote:Just to point out, $60 in 1984 is $157 today. If that included wine, or even if it didn't, a pretty good deal for classic French cuisine for two.

    Agreed. Very cool to get such a detailed, first-hand account of Le Vichyssois. I presume it's telling that the memory stayed with you so clearly for so long. Thanks for posting that, Will.

    =R=
    Same planet, different world
  • Post #5 - July 29th, 2021, 7:25 am
    Post #5 - July 29th, 2021, 7:25 am Post #5 - July 29th, 2021, 7:25 am
    Bernard's passing represents the loss of one of the finest French chefs!
    We became customers when he and Priscilla first opened the Lakemoor restaurant in 1976 and we continued to enjoy his cuisine till they closed in 2014. This was our go-to place for special occasions and I honestly have not found anything comparable many years later. Besides the great food (Salmon Encroute was divine) we got to know Bernard and Priscilla, following their daughter as she grew up as well as sharing news of travels to France. Looking back, we now regret not making the drive to Lakemoor more often both for the friendship and the dining.
    Rest in peace, Grand Master.

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