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Fooding is a brand of a restaurant guide and gastronomic events that was founded in 2000. A
contraction Contraction may refer to: Linguistics * Contraction (grammar), a shortened word * Poetic contraction, omission of letters for poetic reasons * Elision, omission of sounds ** Syncope (phonology), omission of sounds in a word * Synalepha, merged ...
of the words "food" and "feeling", the Fooding aims (in the words of
Frédéric Mitterrand Frédéric Mitterrand (born 21 August 1947) is a French politician who served as Minister of Culture and Communication of France from 2009 to 2012 under President Nicolas Sarkozy. Throughout his career, he has been an actor, screenwriter, tele ...
) to "defend a less-intimidating gastronomy for those who want to cook and nourish themselves in an unstuffy fashion". This
neologism A neologism Greek νέο- ''néo''(="new") and λόγος /''lógos'' meaning "speech, utterance"] is a relatively recent or isolated term, word, or phrase that may be in the process of entering common use, but that has not been fully accepted int ...
appeared for the first time in 1999 in a ''Nova'' magazine article by French journalist and food critic, Alexandre Cammas. It has since become the brand of an annual restaurant guide (in print, online, and smartphone application) and of often charitable international culinary events.


The concept

According to
Adam Gopnik Adam Gopnik (born August 24, 1956) is an American writer and essayist. He is best known as a staff writer for ''The New Yorker,'' to which he has contributed non-fiction, fiction, memoir, and criticism since 1986. He is the author of nine books ...
in his ''
New Yorker New Yorker or ''variant'' primarily refers to: * A resident of the State of New York ** Demographics of New York (state) * A resident of New York City ** List of people from New York City * ''The New Yorker'', a magazine founded in 1925 * ''The New ...
'' piece, the Fooding is to cuisine what the
French New Wave French New Wave (french: La Nouvelle Vague) is a French art film movement that emerged in the late 1950s. The movement was characterized by its rejection of traditional filmmaking conventions in favor of experimentation and a spirit of iconocla ...
was to
French cinema French cinema consists of the film industry and its film productions, whether made within the nation of France or by French film production companies abroad. It is the oldest and largest precursor of national cinemas in Europe; with primary influ ...
. The hidden goal was to Americanize
French food French cuisine () is the cooking traditions and practices from France. It has been influenced over the centuries by the many surrounding cultures of Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Germany and Belgium, in addition to the food traditions of the r ...
without becoming American, just as the New Wave, back in the 1950s and 1960s, was about taking in Hollywood virtues without being Hollywoodized—taking in some of the energy and optimism and informality that the French still associate with American movies while reimagining them as something distinctly French.
Gopnik, Adam Adam Gopnik (born August 24, 1956) is an American writer and essayist. He is best known as a staff writer for ''The New Yorker,'' to which he has contributed non-fiction, fiction, memoir, and criticism since 1986. He is the author of nine books ...
(29 March 2010)
"No Rules!"
''
The New Yorker ''The New Yorker'' is an American weekly magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. Founded as a weekly in 1925, the magazine is published 47 times annually, with five of these issues ...
''.
The Fooding's mission across its editorial activities and events is to make cuisine more expensive from the traditional codes and conventions that confine it, to give chefs the possibility of expressing themselves more fully, and to give contemporary eaters a true taste of the times. Through opening this "freer channel in the gastronomic universe", the Fooding emphasizes "the appetite for novelty and quality, rejection of boredom, love of fun, the ordinary, the sincere, and a yearning to eat with the times". Initially established by Cammas along with fellow journalist and food critic Emmanuel Rubin, the Fooding was supported by
Jean-François Bizot Jean-François Bizot (14 August 1944 – 8 September 2007) was a French journalist and writer. Born in Lyon, Bizot was the founder and owner of the Paris-based radio station, Radio Nova (France), Radio Nova, which first broadcast in 1981. H ...
(founder of Actuel and Radio Nova), as well as by Bruno Delport, the director of Novapress. Since 2004, it has been under the support of Marine Bidaud, associate director of the Fooding.


The guide

As an independent food guide, the bills pay the Fooding for its reviewers, proving this by posting meal receipts on its website. It also refuses to give ad space to the restaurants it reviews in an attempt to remain financially separate. These are the essential conditions, says Cammas, for preserving freedom of expression and taste. In 2012, Cammas published an opinion piece in ''
Le Monde ''Le Monde'' (; ) is a French daily afternoon newspaper. It is the main publication of Le Monde Group and reported an average circulation of 323,039 copies per issue in 2009, about 40,000 of which were sold abroad. It has had its own website si ...
'', discussing the above conditions and defending the
Michelin Guide The Michelin Guides ( ) are a series of guide books that have been published by the French tyre company Michelin since 1900. The Guide awards up to three Michelin star (classification), stars for excellence to a select few establishments. The ac ...
’s ethics. Though written entirely in French, the ''Tips in English'' allow Anglophones to follow the guide as well. The 2013 Fooding Guide, launched this November, now includes a section on favorite restaurants around the world.


The paper guide

The first editions of the Fooding guide (2000–2004) were released as special editions of ''Nova'': ''Guide Fooding : 1000 adresses pour saliver Paris'' (''The Fooding Guide: 1000 restaurants to drool over in Paris''). In 2003 and 2004, two ''Fooding & Style'' special issues were published as a supplement to ''Nova'' magazine. In 2004, Nova Magazine stopped publication and, as a result, its special editions. In November 2005, the Paris Fooding Guide relaunched as a supplement to ''
Libération ''Libération'' (), popularly known as ''Libé'' (), is a daily newspaper in France, founded in Paris by Jean-Paul Sartre and Serge July in 1973 in the wake of the protest movements of May 1968. Initially positioned on the far-left of France's ...
'', under the direction of Louis Dreyfus. In December 2005, the website launched with the online edition of the Paris Guide. The France Fooding Guide was published for the first time in 2006, again in partnership with ''
Libération ''Libération'' (), popularly known as ''Libé'' (), is a daily newspaper in France, founded in Paris by Jean-Paul Sartre and Serge July in 1973 in the wake of the protest movements of May 1968. Initially positioned on the far-left of France's ...
''. As such, lefooding.com became a national guide. In 2006 and 2007, the Fooding Guide followed Louis Dreyfus to the
Nouvel Observateur (), previously known as (1964–2014), is a weekly French news magazine. Based in the 2nd arrondissement of Paris, it is the most prominent French general information magazine in terms of audience and circulation. Its current editor is Cécil ...
, where he took up the post of general director. The 2008 France Guide then became a special edition of the Novel Observateur during summer 2007 with the subtitle ''370 restaurants bien de chez nous – Guide vacances été 2007'' (''370 of our restaurants – Summer vacation guide 2007''). The 2008 Paris Guide came out in September 2007 with the subtitle ''400 restaurants pour embrasser le goût de l’époque'' (''400 restaurants that embrace the taste of the times''). In 2008, a few months after the death of Jean-François Bizot, the Fooding office moved in with the Inrockuptibles at the invitation of Frédéric Allary. In November 2008, for the first time in its history, the France Fooding Guide was published autonomously, under the exclusive direction of Alexandre Cammas and Marine Bidaud.


Le Fooding App

Launched at the end of October 2010, Le Fooding's iPhone app was originally available for free until 31 December 2010. The application was downloaded 80,000 times in two months. Since 1 January 2011, the France Guide iPhone app has been available as a paid application (€3.59). It was described in GQ as "the application reserved for gentlemen". In January 2013, the app was ranked 19th overall in top paid apps and 1st in the Food and Drink category. In August 2012, Le Fooding Guide app for Android was released on Google Play (€3.59). In 2014, the app is available in English and in a Premium version, which also includes the hotel guide. Starting January 2017 the app is free and updated regularly on both iPhone and Android platforms.


Le Fooding guide writers

Along with Alexandre Cammas (founder) and Yves Nespoulous (editor-in-chief), a large group of authors, journalists, food writers, writers, "bons vivants", bloggers and multi-talented people regularly contribute to the different editions of The Guide. These contributors include several emblematic figures of gastronomy and lifestyle, including Julie Andrieu, Sébastien Demorand, Trish Deseine, Frédérick Ernestine Grasser-Hermé, Dominique Hutin, Emmanuel Rubin (cofounder of Fooding Week in 2000 and former partner in Le Fooding Bureau) an
Andrea Petrini
François-Régis Gaudry (journalist at L’Express, France Inter and Paris Première) said on his blog that he bylined his first gastronomy article for Le Fooding Guide in 2001. Many other collaborators made their debut as professional food lovers with Le Fooding Guide: Marie Aline

Danièle Gerkens, Jérome Lefort

Elvira Masson, Julia Sammut (former associate at Le Fooding Bureau), Victoire Loup and Hugo de St Phalle.


Controversies

Even though most foreign observers believe that Le Fooding contributes to the reinvention of the French culinary and event scene on an international scale, this is not always the case in France.
Jean-Luc Petitrenaud Jean-Luc Petitrenaud (born 1950) is a French food critic and television personality. In June 2017, he announced that he would be taking a short break from hosting his television show '' Les escapades de Petitrenaud'' due to fatigue. References ...
in '' VSD'' wrote that Le Fooding is "a ridiculous trend for a few Parisian journalists looking for fame" (''VSD'', Winter 2004). Supporters of more traditional cuisine count several French journalistic institutions among Le Fooding's main detractors. A now-famous debate between the journalist (anti-Fooding) and Alexandre Cammas during Paul Amar's TV program, ''Revu et Corrigé'', is regularly featured in TV blooper shows. On 15 November 2010, during the 10-year anniversary celebration of Le Fooding, then-current French Culture Minister Frédéric Mitterrand surprised the world of gastronomy by presenting Le Fooding Award to a
Breton Breton most often refers to: *anything associated with Brittany, and generally ** Breton people ** Breton language, a Southwestern Brittonic Celtic language of the Indo-European language family, spoken in Brittany ** Breton (horse), a breed **Ga ...
chef. A couple of days later, journalists Colette Monsat and François Simon questioned him in the 19 November 2010 issue of ''
Madame Figaro ''Madame Figaro'' is a French magazine supplement to the Saturday edition of the daily newspaper ''Le Figaro'', focusing on and catering to women. History and profile The first edition was published in 1980. ''Madame Figaro'' was spearheaded by ...
'', saying "You preach the values of traditional (French) cuisine but at the same time are an avid supporter of Le Fooding, which you praised this week for its playful, less formal approach to gastronomy." The Minister responded, "You can love Rembrandt and Basquiat. By appreciating Basquiat, one comes to have a taste for Rembrandt, and vice versa." Seen as an alternative to the Michelin star system, Le Fooding emphasizes younger chefs and a broader range of cuisines and prices. Ironically, Michelin bought a large stake in Le Fooding in 2018 to have a platform that appeals to younger eaters.


References

* *


External links

* * Harris, Paul (3 April 2010)
"French revolution as Le Fooding guide threatens the might of Michelin"
''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
''. * McLaughlin, Katy (14 July 2010)
"Let Them Eat Foie Gras! French Food Fights Back"
''
The Wall Street Journal ''The Wall Street Journal'' is an American business-focused, international daily newspaper based in New York City, with international editions also available in Chinese and Japanese. The ''Journal'', along with its Asian editions, is published ...
''. * Fabricant, Florence (30 April 2009)
"Le Fooding Is Coming to New York"
''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
''. * Ozersky, Josh (29 September 2010)
"Culinary Rivals: New York City vs. San Francisco"
''
Time Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, to ...
''. * Beaudoin, Maurice & Simon, François & Alfandari, Maud (7 April 2009)
"Fooding contre Michelin le match"
''
Le Figaro ''Le Figaro'' () is a French daily morning newspaper founded in 1826. It is headquartered on Boulevard Haussmann in the 9th arrondissement of Paris. The oldest national newspaper in France, ''Le Figaro'' is one of three French newspapers of reco ...
''. {{in lang, fr Food and drink appreciation Culinary arts Restaurant guides 2000 establishments