Tell us, who are you and where are you from?
My name is Yann Petit and I was born in Marseille in 1968 to a French naval officer who did a lot of traveling and a mother from Les Orres, which no doubt explains the influence of Alpine and southern cuisine. But it was here in Serre-Ponçon that I spent my childhood by the pizza oven and grew up. From adolescence onwards, my path was guided by the desire to continue along the path laid out by my parents, who in just a few years had built up a local and international clientele. Photographs bear witness to anthology evenings and the recognition of the jet set of the time, with artists such as Claude François, Thierry Le Luron...
Tell us about your restaurant, its history, its setting?
Surrounded by my family, who created the restaurant in 1971 in a former convent attached to the village church in Crots, I was immersed in an atmosphere of culinary passion. My father's original, family-style recipes were immediately appreciated, so much so that when I followed in his footsteps and took over the restaurant, I continued in the same spirit. Not always easy for a wife to take over a family business, Dominique has dynamically brought her personal touch and a new lease of life to this institution, much to the delight of our customers who, over and above the pleasure of their taste buds, feel good about spending an evening in the atmosphere she has created.
Why did you choose Serre-Ponçon as the location for your business?
For me, the question didn't arise - I couldn't see myself living anywhere else, so I immediately seized the opportunity to continue the family business in a living environment that I enjoy every day.
What do you love most about your job?
It's an intergenerational restaurant, where I enjoy meeting families and sharing stories, and a loyal clientele in search of emblematic dishes such as frites à la crème, filet de boeuf aux morilles and vacherin glacé. Almost all our customers have made memories with us, from romantic meals to family celebrations!
How is your menu created?
I work with local producers who appreciate the passion that drives me, my concern for regularity and my desire to preserve the same ancestral, family know-how.
How would you describe your kitchen?
My cooking is both simple and tasty. We've chosen to open only in the evenings, because we spend the day highlighting our fresh vegetables: peppers, eggplants, leeks, simmering our sauces, making our dessert supports: cabbage, meringue, ice cream, not forgetting the preparation of our pizza toppings, always using fresh produce.
Do you have any specialities? Do you use local products?
The cream fries I mentioned earlier are well known, as are pieds-paquets, eggplant gratin... and a few others which, like the pizzas, are cooked over a wood fire: mussels with leeks, lamb kebabs... Not forgetting the chocolate profiteroles, snowball, vacherin with raspberry ice cream and homemade meringue. I use as many fresh local and southern products as possible, such as anchovies from Collioures.
