We are sitting on the edge of the Vosges forest in a Swiss miniature version of Berlin’s New National Gallery above a cathedral in the basement with a liquid treasure of the most precious plants, guarded by a hero of labor and the chocolate bust of the king of French glassblowers, to be accompanied by an Austrian in the motherland of haute cuisine culinary Black Forest socialization to be cooked tri-nationally. That sounds like an explanation is needed.
One of the most spectacular wine cellars in France
René Lalique was the superstar among Art Deco glass artists and a gifted entrepreneur who had a playful half-timbered villa built not far from his factory in Wingen-sur-Moder in the northern Vosges. Seven years ago they were converted into a very exclusive hotel with six suites full of Lalique memorabilia and expanded by the Swiss architect Mario Botta, based on the example of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, with a glass pavilion with a flat roof that cantilevers far. Since then, a two-star restaurant has resided there, headed by Paul Stradner from Styria. Just below the bar is one of the most spectacular wine cellars in France, filled with tens of thousands of Grand Cru bottles, mainly from Bordeaux and Burgundy, managed by Romain Iltis, who is one of only eight sommeliers in France to hold both the title of “Meilleur Ouvrier de France” and won the national sommelier championship. And as a tribute to the founder of the house, the patisserie has modeled a bust in twenty kilograms of pure Louis XIV-style chocolate for the cellar. Now things should be a little clearer.
From Styria to the Black Forest to Alsace: Throughout his career, Paul Stradner has proven to be a model European.
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Picture: Villa René Lalique
But how does a Styrian farmer’s son end up in the back forest of the Vosges? “I’ve always wanted to go to France,” says Stradner, who, however, only got there after a few detours. After completing his apprenticeship as a cook, he applied for an internship at Traube Tonbach in Baiersbronn, didn’t take a single day off in four weeks because he was afraid of missing something, and with this burning passion he impressed chef Harald Wohlfahrt so much that he gave the youngster immediately discontinued. For four years, Stradner cooked every item in the famous “Schwarzwaldstube” and then – the longing for France was just too great – was mediated by the boss to his three-star colleague Jean-Georges Klein in Baerenthal, just a few kilometers from the Villa Lalique removed. The Alsatian chef, who held the rank of kitchen god in his homeland, was to become Stradner’s idol and foster father, although Stradner managed to earn two Michelin stars for himself in the meantime at the Brenners Parkhotel in Baden-Baden, until he brought his mentor to the villa in 2017 Lalique followed and his successor finally took up office this year.