A Conscious Feast by Nicole Aloni

Chef Thierry Rautureau

Thierry Rautureau, famed “Chef in the Hat” owner of Rovers restaurant here in Seattle, was one of the guests on our radio show yesterday.  We talked a lot about his new casual dining spot, Luc, set to open in the Madison Valley neighborhood in a month or so.  It will offer Thierry’s fans an affordable option to the exquisite, but definitely pricey Rovers with Thierry’s signature attention to quality ingredients— from house-made sausage and bacon to cured salmon.

But somehow, as an environmental geek, I was most captivated by Thierry’s approach to packaging “to go” orders.  Kind of like your relationship with an old-fasioned dairy, you will be responsible for handling and returning a real container; In this case, plates. Luc will serve up your boeuf bourguignon or potato gratin on a ceramic dish that you will return for credit. No disposables at all. Talk about sustainable, warm, homey.

When I oohed and ahhed over this to Thierry, he winked and said, “You know, Nicole, it’s really not a new idea. How do you think “to go” food was handled 30 years ago?  We’re just going back to a good old way.”

The visionary way Luc was financed, through a sort of a neighborhood alliance, also reflects Thierry’s out of the box, holistic approach to creating a feeling of family and engagement for his customers that is entirely irresistible .  He’s definitely a restaurateur with an uncanny sense of what his customers need beyond what is on their plate.

A votre santé to the Chef in the Hat and his new baby Luc!  We’ll be there opening night, for sure.