Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, France--France has many restaurants claiming the "bio" label, but only one to earn a star in the fabled Michelin Guide: Elsa, a Riviera eatery run by an Italian chef, Paolo Sari.
Sari boasts he takes the credo to such lengths that his 40-seat restaurant barely outside Monaco's border is "the only certified 100-percent bio establishment in the world".
Certainly he is inflexible in ensuring his Mediterranean cuisine, mixing French and Italian recipes, is entirely organic and sourced from local and near-local producers.
That means his asparagus comes from a village in Provence, his saffron from a mountaintop village near Nice, and seafood direct from fishermen. His almonds come from Sicily and go to make a diabolically delicious souffle.
Beef, though, is one ingredient that doesn't feature on his menu because there is no organic cattle farm nearby.
"Each ingredient, each supplier, even each transporter needs to have a certification," Sari told AFP.
Organisation is key, with records provided on every menu and the percentage of dishes sold, "because an inspector could come to check at any moment".
"I let the ingredients be the star, after a fanatic search for good products," the chef said. He then adds his own "little touches". Three years of that approach earned Elsa -- which is part of a resort called Monte-Carlo Beach -- its Michelin star last year.
AFP
