“My father was an inveterate gastronome. Some fathers take their children to the theatre, to concerts, to museums... Mine took me on a tour of the finest tables in Lorraine and Alsace.”
Gilles Pudlowski
Gilles Pudlowski
Gilles Pudlowski is a journalist, author and gastronomic critic. For more than forty years, he has travelled across France to meet the chefs, artisans and houses that keep the culture of taste alive. Author of numerous works and creator of the renowned "Pudlo" guide, he champions a sensitive and generous vision of gastronomy, in which craftsmanship, terroir and emotion hold an essential place. A passionate observer of the French art de vivre, he continues to celebrate the places and personalities that give the table its soul.
What is your story, your origins? I am a native of Metz, a Lorrainer in exile in the capital for half a century. I came to Paris to study at Sciences-Po before beginning my journalism career at Le Quotidien de Paris. Chance, encounters (including that with my mentor Christian Millau) and my own greedy nature led me to drift from literary criticism towards gastronomy, without ever abandoning my love of books and words. Three decades ago I launched my guides to Paris, Alsace, Lorraine and France under the "Pudlo" banner, alongside my blog gillespudlowski.com where I share my gastronomic discoveries every day.
What shaped your taste, in the broadest sense? My father, who was an inveterate gastronome. Some fathers take their children to the theatre, to concerts, to museums. Mine took me on a tour of the finest tables in Lorraine and Alsace. A gastronomic education built around the stars of the day and the extraordinary restaurants of the region.
What craft was passed down to you? The taste for work done well, which became the foundation on which I built my own expertise. I have always made a point of delivering my copy on time!
What value do you in turn try to pass on? It could be summed up by "the love of the land", "the duty of being French" and "the paths of gentle France", the titles of my trilogy on France. The Hexagon is a mosaic of extra-ordinary "little countries". And what could be more exotic than the Ariège, the Ardennes, the Thiérache, the Cotentin, the Creuse, the Corrèze, Provence, the Beaufortain and the Bauges, the Argonne, the Comminges or the Quercy? My mission is to champion this heritage, the regional traditions, the deserving chefs, restaurateurs and artisans. Last week I was in the Aude, this week in the Manche, and so it goes!
What would you have liked to do with your hands? I would love to type faster on a computer. I am currently limited to two fingers (laughs).
What is most French about you? My passion for good things: gastronomy, terroir and the artisans I have strived to champion and to write about for half a century.
What has been your greatest adventure? Endlessly touring the 96 departments of mainland France, depicting and decoding the French culinary scene and its evolutions, uncovering the talents of today and tomorrow. An inexhaustible quest pursued over four decades! But I would also mention the creation of my guides. As a little aside, Daniel Picouly once told me: "'Pudlo' is like 'Kopa', it is by shortening your name that you become great." Pudlo is the good mate. There is no doubt it takes some nerve to put your name on a guide.
What is your favourite bistrot or institution? Taillevent for grand dining. Aux Lyonnais for bistrots. L'Auberge de l'Ill for provincial restaurants. Chez Yvonne for winstubs.
Which icon best represents France, in your view? Joan of Arc, the good Lorrainer, and de Gaulle for the spirit of resistance. Bocuse for greediness and generosity. Aznavour, Bécaud and Ferrat for the songs that make us live and dream. I think of pike quenelle and crêpe Suzette for dishes. But the bistrot is obviously an icon in itself, perfectly embodying the French art de vivre with its counter, its conviviality and its culinary heritage that the whole world envies us.
What is your mantra or a motto that guides your life? Do good work and let others talk.
Is there an object or a work that embodies French taste? The fork, the symbol par excellence of the French table and of French taste. But I also think of the bergamotes de Nancy, which for me are a delicious testament to our regional products, as well as Robert Sabatier's book Les Noisettes Sauvages, which captures the taste of the Auvergne so beautifully.
Who would you have at your table for an ideal dinner? Bernard Loiseau, Lionel Poilâne, Jacques Puisais (the great taster of the Loire Valley, so eloquent on food and wine pairings) and Christian Millau, my master of gastronomic criticism. What a meal that would be!
What would your ideal menu be (starter, main, dessert and wine pairings)? Off the top of my head: onion tart, pike-perch in riesling, choucroute, munster with cumin and iced kougelhopf. Old habits die hard! With a gewurztraminer and a fine riesling, then an Alsatian pinot noir and a shot of gewurztraminer marc to round it all off.
What is your greatest gastronomic memory? My first meal at Alain Chapel's, in particular his gâteau de foies blonds with crayfish coulis, of which my palate still holds the memory. A defining meal.
What does La Vieille Prune de Souillac evoke for you? The "heart of France" and the art of work done well. But also joyful Sunday evenings with Robert Sabatier, my old friend and Goncourt Academician, so proud of his Auvergnat roots, but with a heart large enough for all.
