“As Camus said, beauty cannot make revolutions. But one day, revolution will need beauty. This is a revolutionary project.”
– Massimo Bottura
It was my first night ever as a French-speaking waitress in Paris.
Top chef Massimo Bottura’s community kitchen in the crypt of the historic L’Église de la Madeleine has a clear mission — serving the underprivileged of Paris and eliminating food waste. I was excited to tie on the Refettorio apron and enter the basement dining area to see the evening through from prep time to service.
Chef Maxime Bonnabry-Duval leads the culinary team that makes delicious three-course meals out of daily leftovers from Paris’ bustling food scene.
Esteemed chefs also regularly stop by to lend their talents. Past visitors include three Michelin starred chefs, Romain Meder from the Plaza Athénée and Mauro Colagreco from Restaurant Mirazur. A live band often entertains guests before dessert, with even U2 having made a surprise appearance.
The Evening Begins
Volunteers gathered at 5:30 p.m. under a cloud installation in the dining area designed by artists JR and Prune Nourry to receive our assigned stations for the night. I would be serving five tables in the front corridor. First, I was asked to prep the bread baskets by slicing the famous sourdough loaves of Poilâne, a loyal supporter that donates bread each day to the Refettorio. Then, the head of the dining staff explained to volunteers how orders are summoned from the kitchen when guests arrive at different times, showing us the chart she used to keep track of the night’s meal progress.
The plates, exquisitely designed with cupped palms in a collaboration between JR and Bernardaud, were stacked under a heating lamp in a back room. My instructions were: Greet a guest, tell them the night’s specials, ask if he/she wanted to wait for a table guest, and if not, inform the kitchen of the order.
As I greeted my first customers, I explained the ingredients of the three-course meal (also that I was American and trying my best at French that night). They were very kind and eager to engage in conversation. The guests were of all ages, some in their early twenties others in their 70s, some sat alone, others waited to share a meal with a new guest.
The kitchen was a bustle of activity as students from Ferrandi assisted the head chef with plating the night’s meals. I zoomed back and forth with the other volunteers to serve each course, as well as fulfill spontaneous food requests, only adding to my respect for servers in restaurants who juggle all these tasks.
Just before the dessert of chocolate mousse with pistachio was served, the musical guests appeared in the dining area with an accordion and harp and broke out in a joyful rendition of familiar French classics.
A Dining Vision that Brings Hope
Massimo Bottura’s Food for the Soul experience lives up to its name. He doesn’t just create a safe place for vulnerable members of the community to congregate and eat — admirable in itself.
He also adds the intimacy of conversation, beautiful and well-thought out surroundings, artful place settings, and energizing music to nourish and inspire guests.
I hope to see this community-driven concept pop up in other city centers across the world. The loneliness of the underprivileged is often forgotten, and I was grateful to join other volunteers in making the evening a little brighter for guests in a city I love so much.
Information for Volunteering
Create an account to register as a volunteer at https://refettorio.force.com (the portal created by corporate sponsor SalesForce). You will be notified when there is an opening for volunteers in the kitchen or dining area.
Refettorio Paris
L’Église de la Madeleine
Place de la Madeleine
75008 Paris
*Monday – Friday
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