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La Bourse Et La Vie -
A TRUE ‘BISTROT DU QUARTIER’
Whilst designing the interior
of this Parisian ‘bistrot du
quartier’, Elliott Barnes found
his inspiration in the alchemy
between Chef Daniel Rose’s
Chicago origins, details from
traditional bistro codes and
the locale’s history and name
which was conserved from the
previous owner.
BUT FIRST THERE IS A STORY TO TELL...
‘It was a grey blustery late October afternoon in a now forgotten year. A
young chef in a steel blue pea coat, originally from Chicago, walks into
a well-known local bistrot at 12 rue de Vivienne in Paris, just behind the
Palais Royale. As he enters and moves to take a seat he is confronted by
an aged hooded malfrat, who coarsely barks out to our unsuspecting
diner, “la bourse ou la vie” or “your money or your life”! Taken aback but
with a bit of Cook County insolence our chef reaches into his pocket
for a few aged francs. With a smirk on his face our chef extends his
hand and tosses over a few sous. But unable to catch his heist, the
aged thief watches as the coins fall to the floor. As the resonating
sound of metal hitting stone fills the sparsely occupied establishment