Did you know that many authors of Thriller novels give great importance to food scenes? Detectives often crack their cases around a good meal. The Quais du Polar book Festival of Lyon has decided to highlight this specificity by adding some gastronomy to their program, with the support of Délice Network.
On April 2nd, 2022, there was excitement in Les Saints Potins and L'Ateliers des Augustins kitchens in Lyon! Both restaurants were selected to host a unique event in the frame of the Quais du Polar Book Festival. They each opened their kitchen to visiting chefs to serve a menu based on the literature style of a visiting author.
Deon Meyer is for sure the most famous Thriller novelist in South Africa. For his first participation in the Quais du Polar festival, he took a moment to share his vision of Cape Town cuisine with chef Julia du Toit from Beyond Restaurant.
At L’Atelier des Augustins, chef Nicolas Guillotton opened his kitchen to Julia and they created a unique 4-hand tasting menu to celebrate the food culture of Lyon and Cape Town, inspired by the work of Deon Meyer.
The guests enjoyed this lovely meal while discussing with Deon Meyer his work.
It was the first visit of chef Julia du Toit to Lyon. During her stay, she had a chance to discover the local food markets, taste the local delicacies, and exchange culinary practices with host chef Nicolas Guillotton.
It was not the first visit to Lyon for chef André Magalhães, founder of the famous Taberna da Rua das Flores. The confirmed chef is used to presenting Lisbon gastronomy around the world.
For this special event, he was hosted by Bruno Daeira, a Portuguese restaurateur from Lyon, and his chef Julien Garnier.
In Les Saints Potins, they proposed a unique menu celebrating Lisbon cuisine. Miguel Szymanski, the thriller novelist from Lisbon, took part in the choice of the Menu. This evening, he was invited to share his vision of Lisbon and his passion for gastronomy.
The guests were thrilled by this opportunity to travel to Lisbon for an evening and to have a taste of the city while hearing about the work of author Szymanski.
It was the first edition of this collaborative Polar & Gastronomy project. Délice Network is looking to facilitate connections and collaborations among member cities through projects of this kind. There is room for gastronomy and many cultural events, and the intention is to pursue this dynamic in the future.
For the 2023 edition of Quais du Polar, let’s wait and see what other Délice Network cities will be on the Menu!