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Regis Marcon
Regis Marcon grew up in Saint-Bonnet-le-Froid, in the Auvergne region of France. His hotel-restaurant, like the village, puts on no airs -- peu protocolaire, as Marcon describes it. It is one of those rare places that, in spite of its star status, has not forgotten that it started out life as the village cafe run by Marcon's mother.
Regis Marcon started the Auberge et Clos des Cimes as a modest local eatery in 1982. Over the years, he and his wife, Michele, have gradually upgraded their small establishment to a two-star Michelin restaurant, with a 12-room hotel connected to the restaurant by a tunnel. The rooms in the hotel are spacious and modern with stunning views of the forested slopes surrounding the hilltop town. The restaurant has a similar feel, with colorful lamps, waiters wearing mushroom pins, and interesting knickknacks spread throughout.
Marcon is very proud that he and his wife were able to take over the family business and make it what it is today. "In 1985, the Auberge des Cimes crossed its own line of demarcation, he writes in the introduction to Marvelous Recipes. "We could continue the tradition of catering for the village's businesses... or we could open ourselves up to the outside world by promoting a distinctly regional cuisine, to demonstrate that the region was not stuck in the past but did indeed have a future." Their decision transformed Auberge et Clos des Cimes into a cherished destination for gastronomes that has not lost its sense of place or its reliance on the products of the region.
In recent years, Marcon has won acclaim as one of the most talented and respected chefs in France. One of his first major international recognitions came in 1995 when he won the Bocuse d'Or as representative of France in this prestigious international competition. "I thought about my father who died too young; about my mother and the sacrifices she made; and about Michele, who has courageously faced the Saint-Bonnet adventure with me," he writes. "Their names should be on the trophy, too."
In addition to his two-star Michelin Guide rating, Marcon's Auberge et Clos des Cimes has also garnered an elite 19/20 rating in the Gault & Millau Guide. In 2001, Gault & Millau bestowed its greatest honor on Marcon with his selection as Chef of the Year. Other honors include the Brillat Savarin Prize and the 2001 Prix La Mazille, which recognized the French edition of Marvelous Recipes as the year's best book in France respecting the traditions and values of fine cookbook writing.
Marcon's cuisine relies on the elements unique to his region, including a dazzling array of mushrooms, cheeses and local herbs. "When I started creating dishes at Saint-Bonnet-le-Froid, the restaurant was modest and functional, situated next to a gas pump," he recalls. "I progressed slowly, discovering techniques as I went along." Gradually, Marcon came "to grasp the principles underlying my cookery and to regard it as a cuisine with a story to tell, as history, as description of a landscape.
"Most important of all, each recipe has to be accepted by the guests," he adds. "It is physically painful for me when a guest does not like one of our dishes. In this respect, I am very different from some colleagues who can pursue their craft while remaining indifferent to reaction."
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