Tempting Fête

Bastille Day in Yountville is a treat. In years past I have particularly enjoyed the celebrations at Bouchon. The small parking lot adjacent to the bistro becomes a lively party, with live music and dancing, food and family and friends. The courtyard between the bistro and the bakery is filled with kid-friendly activities in the early afternoon--face painting and games. I see people I never see except at Bastille Day. It is lovely.

Each year there is a t-shirt with a clever theme. This year's is "Tempting Fête."

A "fête" is a lively party. Perhaps even a tempting one. And there's the play on "tempting fate." Nicely done.

But this year's celebration was a bit of a disappointment. The food was lackluster. There were some whole roasted pigs that tasted rather bland, and it was distressing to see flies swarming around the cheesecloth-draped pig head while a cook tried to quickly carve off some meat. The crepes were pre-made, warmed on a griddle and filled to order, but lacked the delicious freshness factor from years past. Even the grilled sausages tasted more like a brat from a weekend grill-out with friends.

The crowds were small, perhaps due to the heat (it was in the 90's until the sun went down), perhaps due to the economy. The less than bustling fête seemed a little sad.

Talking to a few of the locals, I heard comments about the lack of continuity in the celebration. It is the nature of the restaurant industry that there is near constant turn over. How is it possible to continue a tradition when those in charge of continuing it have not experienced it themselves? And in such a little town as Yountville (population around 3,000), the change is noticable. "Remember Randy? And Alysa? And Tiny?" one asked. "Remember the Nutter Butters (before they changed the recipe), and the CB&J sandwiches?" Yes, I do.

There was also sad talk of the fine balance of wanting success for a good chef and restaurant, and the tipping point of losing one's identity and control of quality. It is not a unique discussion. But it is timely right now for Yountville. It seems there's a lot of tempting fate.