He is a chef who often makes headlines, but it’s in his kitchen that his talent reveals itself every day. A jack-of-all-trades, as he candidly admits, David Faure is a true creator. This Sunday, at 11:30 am on the Quai des Etats-Unis, as part of Italy at the Table, he will showcase his vision of the famous Pan Bagnat with his friends.
Last year, it was the Niçoise salad that was presented “in all its forms” at the Italian gastronomic fair. This Sunday, in the conference hall, it will be the turn of the Pan Bagnat to be revisited by three enthusiasts of Niçoise cuisine: Laurence Duperthuy, Franck Viano, and David Faure, complemented by the stories of Nice’s historian and its cuisine, Alex Benvenuto.
Recently awarded the Label Cuisine Nissarde, David Faure will present his, and possibly several, visions of the celebrated “wet bread” that has traveled the world but, like its counterpart, the Niçoise salad, is not always respected in terms of ingredients and methods used.
It’s highly likely that food lovers will be thrilled to witness the live creation of several recipes and be able to taste them afterward.
Nice Premium met David Faure in the midst of preparing for his Sunday event…
Nice Premium: So David, will we taste your Pan Bagnat on the prom this Sunday?
David Faure: Yes, but not only that… It’s quite possible that my dear Noëlle, with her Capeline hat, will make us a truly traditional one for comparison during the tasting. However, I might also make two or even three variations to demonstrate the possible plays with the same ingredients while respecting the tradition, of course—we said revisit, not distort!
Nice Premium: Was the Label Cuisine Nissarde important to you?
David Faure: I would even say it was crucial and necessary. I value tradition as much as innovation. As I often say, I am not originally from Nice, but the Head Chef was born in Nice. I explore many directions in Cuisine, but when I cook traditional Niçoise, I research Nice’s history and its culinary origins. Therefore, for me and my teams, it’s a recognition of the work accomplished and its authenticity. I think I needed it to truly feel Niçoise.
Nice Premium: For you, what is Niçoise cuisine?
Niçoise Cuisine… A straightforward cuisine with bold flavors, a product, and terroir-based cuisine, but it’s also cuisines of neighborhoods, villages, families, seasons, and techniques. But above all, it’s the Cuisine of the Sun, a cuisine that sings!
Nice Premium: Did you fall into it when you were little, or did you fall in love with it little by little?
David Faure: For cuisine in general, I’m like Obélix, I fell into it as a child, baking my first cakes at six and my first savory dishes at seven. I was lucky to live in a small town with the Loire river flowing below our house, my dad’s vegetable garden, and my parents with their friends still slaughter the pig to make everything homemade. My mom was not only a great cook but also watched over her pots at night between two busy workdays to prepare delicious slow-cooked meals for us…
As for Niçoise Cuisine, it was much later. I first discovered it in Paris as a Cook, when it was in vogue. Everyone wanted to taste its Stuffed Vegetables, Pissaladière, and Socca, but it was only upon arriving in Nice in 1996 that I understood its essence…
Nice Premium: But David Faure is also something else, isn’t he? Like 2.0, for instance?
Among other things, but not only that, I am a curious Cook who doesn’t like routine, who loves to discover, evolve, innovate, who perhaps ventures into many, maybe too many, directions. However, without this, I couldn’t pour all my soul and love into my dishes. For 2.0, it’s a project that exists only in two places worldwide, a participatory project where everyone can contribute. Noëlle and I would love to bring this to Nice. We know we can do it, but Nice and the Niçois must also follow us…
Nice Premium: Finally, what do you wish for the chef and the man in 2015?
His love life is at its peak, so may his culinary and professional projects come to fruition. But like all his colleagues, the economic situation is difficult—a sentiment that our country, and consequently our city, suffers, so yes, businesses suffer too, with stores closing one after the other. Here, we have everything to be happy. Let’s all together make the sun shine at its highest every day. Be positive, but above all, be gourmets and lovers of good food. Isn’t the Niçois stronger than anything?
Come on, see you Sunday for a Pan Bagnat Connection! Baieta.
Photo credit: Aline Gérard – https://www.cookandshoot.fr
