Franck Giovannini, three-star chef of the Hôtel de Ville in Crissier, has not skimped on work in recent months since he has created a room dedicated to the history of this legendary establishment. A place of transmission from great chefs to great chefs.
Grandes Tables Suisses: How did you imagine this room dedicated to the history of the restaurant?
Franck Giovannini: I’ve been thinking about it for a while, I didn’t want it to be just photos, I liked the idea of having menus through time, newspaper articles, awards or even dishes dating from the Frédy Girardet era. For example, I found a menu from 1969 in which you can see that Frédy Girardet was starting this shift towards gastronomy with sole or langoustines. Moreover, he readily recounts that in 1968, he visited the chefs Bocuse and Troisgros and felt that a movement was being created in the world of high gastronomy. He came back with the idea of developing cuisine in Switzerland as well. So in the 1970s, he began this shift by creating his first menus.
GTS: Did you find any previously unknown elements?
FG: I was able to trace the history of the House. In 1928, they broke up the Maison Communale to build the present building. I found the original hand-drawn plans of great precision. We discovered that there was the post office on the first floor and the apartment of the letter carrier on the top floor. The house has grown over time. It’s quite amazing to discover how many details, photos and objects we were able to find through the archives of the Town Hall, family, relatives and clients. I also had the Swiss mountains carved out of a tree trunk with the key dates of the House. From the beginning with Benjamin Girardet in 1955 to the present day in order to pay tribute to the mythical history of the place.
GTS: What was Mr. Girardet’s reaction when he discovered this piece?
FG: He was moved. At the beginning, we explained the process to him and he quickly got into the game by giving us material to move forward.
GTS: How will you use this space?
FG: We don’t want to make it a table d’hôte, but rather a meeting place for companies who want to have meetings before or after a meal. But it’s also a place where you can have an aperitif. The goal is to keep this space friendly.
GTS: Today, after months of work, what do you think of this museum?
FG: I am very happy to see all that we have been able to gather and what the enthusiasts and friends have brought back. And I am sure that it is not finished, because many elements will be added as time goes by. The goal is for this space to constantly evolve. We are proud and moved to have built, sorted and cut out all these moments of the past ourselves that remain engraved in our memories. But most of all, I am happy that a positive and joyful feeling comes out of this space, as our goal is to keep the craftsmanship and excellence of this legendary house alive!
More information about the establishment: https://www.restaurantcrissier.com/
