When one of the marketing tools of a wine bar is hiring the chef from Top Chef France, Tiffany Depardieu, I'm thinking Yuck! The mere thought of Top Chef France is scary in principle. Globalization stops at nothing! The show is of course airing at my former place of employment, the young and "hip" French channel M6. In reality it is a French MTV rip off, with much bad reality TV and even worst music - for the most part. I'm thinking, that this place has got to be for Parisians who desperately want to be Americans, catering to Americans, who want to be Parisians. This can't be good. I can smell the marketing plan from afar!
The wine bar in question Ô Chateau is located in a historical building tucked in a tiny street near the Louvre (more tourist alerts). There are 40 wines by the glass and 400 by the bottle including some of the biggest labels in France. The chef (again, of Top Chef France) has created a menu around elements of French terroir. Skeptically, I review the pages of the website, reading up on this Americanized French wine tasting spot, but the more I read, the more I am drawn in. The about page, though pretty long, is really funny. I end up reading the whole thing cracking up alone to the humor. I end up finding out that the author, is the owner of this wine bar, and his blog - Stuff Parisians Like - filled with irreverent jokes, draws so much attention, that it is now a best selling book “Dessine-Moi un Parisien“.
Yes, the owner, Olivier Magny, has smartly positioned himself for a global public, using tools that will appeal to both the French and American public. His media links surely help him shamelessly promote his brand. And even though, at first glance all these tactics remind me of some sterile bands like Starbucks, which void of character, are all about commerce, and over all are a total turn off, but the vibe I get here is definitely a fun one. I was swayed and thought it was worth exploring. At the very least, it's an entertaining read!
68 rue Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Near Etienne Marcel.
01.44.73.97.80
www.o-chateau.com
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