Most of us can only dream of realizing our childhood fantasies. But Philip Starck - restaurant designer and avowed socialist - had both a dream and backers willing to invest 5.5 million euros. The result is Ma Cocotte, a canteen in Paris' Marche aux Puces serving beautifully executed traditional food in a comfortable setting at moderate prices. It may be utopian, but it’s not proletarian.
We might expect a restaurant named for a cast-iron casserole to look like a communal dining hall. And from the street side Ma Cocotte does mimic the brick warehouses along the rue de Rosier in St.Ouen. A broad band of windows fill the side facing the Paul Bert-Serpette pavillions illuminating the open interior space where concrete and metal elements carry out the industrial theme. The white wood walls of the upstairs dining room give it a clubby feel. Both floors are furnished in a second-hand chic mixture of artfully mis-matched tables, lamps and chairs.
Ma Cocotte is the culmination of Philip Starck's many afternoons spent roaming the Marche with his father. He envied the comraderie among antique vendors as they ate lunch among their inventory. The flea market became his model for a democratic society where class distinctions disappear over a shared meal. He had recently purchased his own market stall before construction of Ma Cocotte began two years ago. Does he plan to become a flee market impresario?
On a recent Saturday, George and I were seated on the upper level of Ma Cocotte for lunch. George ordered the daily special: hanger steak with bearnaise sauce and a penne pasta gratin that arrived in an eight ounce canning jar. Mine was the house specialty, hachis parmentier, beef cheeks cooked down to a flavorful hash and covered with a layer of rich, creamy mashed potatoes. Every aspect of the meal was impeccably prepared and served. Chef Yannick Papin came to Ma Cocotte from Bon, Starck’s recent venture with the same restauranteurs, Fabienne and Philippe Amzalak. By the time we left, the restaurant was packed and functioning like a well-oiled machine.
Two questions remain in my mind. Will Ma Cocotte be able to turn the Marche aux Puces into a dining destination? At present, the market only draws crowds on weekends, when its 2500 dealers are in residence. Are diners going to drive outside the Peripherique on weekdays when the market is dormant?
And, has French President Francois Hollande taken note of Starck’s experiment in egalitarian dining? He could pump up goodwill for his socialist government by creating a new Ministry of Dining - and putting Philip Starck in charge!
