Fernand Point

 

Fernand Point was a French restaurateur and is considered to be the father of modern French cuisine from his restaurant "La Pyramide" in Vienne, a town half an hour to the south of Lyon, he gained three Michelin stars and trained a generation of French master chefs like Paul Bocuse, Alain Chapel, Louis Outhier, Georges Perrier and Jean and Pierre, the Brothers Troisgros. He had received his training with Foyot in Paris. The restaurant was founded shortly after WWII. From its kitchen came the modern lightly-thickened sauces, baby vegetables and other aspects of nouvelle cuisine. During the regime of Vichy France, Point served refugees fleeing the German invasion. When German officers began patronizing his establishment, he stopped serving dinner. When they demanded tables for lunch, he closed his restaurant altogether. While Fernand worked in the kitchen, his wife welcomed their guests. She continued owning the restaurant after her husband's death. His most famous words were "Beurre beurre, donnez-moi de beurre, toujours de beurre".