When chefs trade their kitchens for hotel rooms, bathrobes & hair dryers

What can I say about the Priceless Soupers dinner at the Grand Pigalle Hotel?

We started as strangers, civilly deciding that we could switch from the formal “vous” to informal “tu” at our dinner table over basic get-to-know-you questions. And then, the night unfolded.

I’d say it was a success.

Here’s the deal: 3 chefs who won awards in the Fooding 2015 Guide: Best Table, Le Fooding Crush, and Best Bistro. Two services, each with a chef cooking in a room, usually with strangers paired up together. So you are eating in a hotel room with people you don’t know, with one of the top chefs in France cooking just for your table.

We were lucky enough to get Arnaud Lahaut of “Best Table” Miles in Bordeaux. Our room consisted of the bed, chefs’ station, dining table, and photo-worthy Sacre Coeur views out the window. It’s amazing what can be done table side in a hotel room if you have some good products and talent.

Though Arnaud chose to go the traditional apron route, Mathieu Perez (Le Fooding Crush) from Les Percherons went full-out bathrobe for his room.

The other chefs came by at different points to say hello, and when we came over to say hey to the room across the way at the end of our meal, Mathieu was using a hair dryer to soften the chocolate ganache. In his bathrobe. While 6 people lounged on the king sized bed drinking wine. Since I didn’t know those people at all, I thought it appropriate to run in and throw myself on the bed superman style. We’re all friends now, right?

Back in our room, we had espressos and jumped on the bed before ending the evening with a pillow fight.

Priceless indeed.

The next Priceless Soupers event is on April 21st, and reservations will open in 12 days.

Up next, an Italian Marriage: Salvatore Rotiroti, Fooding 2014 Guide’s best pizza man (Il Brigant) and Simone Tondo of the infamous Roseval (Best Table 2013). I’m bringing pajamas, just in case.