By Eileen Ogintz
LYON, FRANCE — Let’s hear it for the mothers of Lyon! Theses “Meres Lyonnaises,” were credited, starting in the 18th Century, with turning the city of Lyon into the gastronomic center of France, and pioneered Nouvelle Cuisine.
Perhaps the most famous Mere Lyonnaise was Mere Brezier, who taught a young Paul Bocuse, who, more famously, is known as the “Father of Nouvelle Cuisine.”
We got a lesson in Lyon gastronomy by Jeremy Boyer who I found from Tours by Locals, the Canadian tour company I have used many times. We were at the famous Les Hall1970les de Lyon Paul Bocuse, the fantastic indoor food market that has been in operation since the mid-19th Century but was moved here to this sleek building in the center of the city’s business district in 1970.
The market in the Part-Dieu district with some 53 purveyors- bakers and pastry makers, cheese and fish mongers, butchers and those selling charcuterie, chocolate makers, oyster sellers, restaurants and cafes, is quiet on this early August morning as many locals and those who run these stalls are all on vacation in the south of France, Boyer tells us. “You should see this place before the holidays. it’s packed.” It is also a spot for locals to come for oysters and a drink or two at the end of the work week.
Paul Bocuse, of course, is the legendary French chef who died in 2018 and was known for his Michelin star Lyno restaurants and his innovating his innovative cuisine. He was known as “the pope of gastronomy” and the famous biennial world chef championship bears his name.
Fun fact Boyer tells us: One of the famous “Meres” Eugenie Brazier gave him an apprentice ship after he begged at her restaurant several times, riding a rickety bike up a long hill each time. That was the start of his career. He later took over his family restaurant L’Auberge du Pont de Collonges and turned it into one of the most renowned restaurants in the world. Bocuse inspired the character of chef Auguste Gusteau in Disney’s 2007 hit animated Ratatouille.
There are seven Bocuse brasseries in Lyon and Annecy and two restaurants in Lyon. There is also Institute Lyfe in Lyon that offers programs for aspiring professional hoteliers, chefs and amateurs and has a restaurant where the meals are taught by students.
I like that Jeremie Boyer, like other Tours by Locals guides I’ve met, are local experts who can help you have a deep dive in whatever your interest- World War II History, wine, architecture, fashion, etc. It also helps when the guide speaks your language well. Boyer told us he had spent more than a year in Australia, perfecting his English.
At the end of an AmaWaterways river cruise on the Rhine River, we opted to spend a few days exploring Lyon, a city we have never been. The Rhone is popular for cruises, and we see one of AmaWaterways’ ships docked near our hotel.
We are staying at the Sofitel Bellecour with our rooms overlooking the Rhone River, a central location and a fantastic breakfast buffet. One night when my bad knee is aching, we opt for an excellent burger and club sandwich in the lobby bar; the hotel’s famous restaurant is closed for August.
Tip: If you plan to spend several days, consider the Lyon Card that gives you travel on public transport, a guided tour, admission to more than 30 museums, shows and discounts to other attractions. Fill your water bottle at more than 700 fountains; by local (Lyon is famous for the silk industry dating back centuries) by looking for shops that say “Fabrique a Lyon.”
Back to the Mothers: Originally cooks for wealthy families, these women who weren’t professionally trained began to set up their own restaurants starting in the mid-18th Century. One of these women, Mere Clotilde Bizolon, welcomed French soldiers back from the WWI with a free lunch at a Lyon train station; Eugenie Brazier was the first to be awarded three Michelin stars twice.
Lyon cuisine has always embraced local ingredients and comfort foods we learn. “We are very lucky here that we have such good ingredients so close to the city,” Boyer said, “Amazing meat producers, chicken, vegetables, fishponds originally dug by monks in the middle ages, cheeses,” and of course wines from Beaujolais.
Lyon has 5300 restaurants including 17 with Michelin stars and 25 certified bouchons, traditional local eateries. In these traditional eateries, you can sample Lyonnais specialties in a decidedly casual atmosphere. Choose wisely and you will be surrounded by locals (Look for the cartoon image with a black hat that identifies official bouchons.
Be forewarned that the menu might include things like tripe — kidneys or stomach or intestines. Offal was commonly cooked and eaten in the past when people were looking for inexpensive or free ingredients they could turn into hearty dishes. You might look for cervelle de Canut, a popular local creamy cheese with shallots, chives, and white wine, or ouef meurette (poached eggs cooked in red wine and onions) or a salade Lyonnaise with lettuce, croutons, and poached eggs. Sausages and pates often have pistachios in them. Grattons (pork rinds) are a popular snack.
Our tour includes lots of food tastings, and there is a chance here to sample the Lyon specialty Quenelles, poached fish dumplings usually served in a crayfish sauce. Lyon’s famous Bouchons got some of their inspiration from the “Meres” who originally would use inexpensive or free ingredients—like the pike made to prepare Quenelles. Pike was an invasive fish, Boyer explained, that was just thrown away. Other dishes would include offal like liver or stomach that also would be tossed.
Our first stop is the award-winning Charcuterie Bobosse for some bites of sausage (don’t call it salami in Lyon!), pate with pork, pate with beef and pork and even some pork tongue (an acquired taste) accompanied of course by Beaujolais wine, the famous wine region not far from Lyon. “We say we have three rivers here,” said Boyer, “The Rhone, the Saone and the Beaujolais.” One of the sausages is called “Jesus of Lyon” because traditionally it was wrapped in a cloth like the baby Jesus.
Our next stop is for cheese—I’ve never seen so many varieties! These include the famous Saint-Marcellin that is made from cow’s milk and dates back to the 15th Century. Locals say you wouldn’t have a cheese plate to end the meal here without this smooth, creamy cheese. Renee Richard was a renowned French cheese monger in Lyon the proprietor of La Mere Richard here in Les Halles. We stop for cheese and white wine from the Alps (no red with cheese, Boyer tells us!) at Mons Fromager Affineur and baguette. Yum!
Our last stop for the famous local praline brioche is at Maison Victoire where there are pink studded praline tarts, breads, and cookies. The pralines are distinctively bright pink. It seems that back in the mid seventeenth century a chef cooking for a count got the idea of caramelizing nuts with sugar. They were a big hit but looked kind of dull, local chefs thought. By the 18th century, they’d added cochineal dye made from a tiny insect and harvested for thousands of years. It is completely safe with the natural dye now resurging in popularity.
Bon Appetit