L'Auberge de l'Ill, a three-star restaurant since 1967By Emmanuel TresmontantOn 17 September this year, Paul Bocuse bestowed the Legion of Honour on Marc Haeberlin in his Illhaeusern fiefdom... Due recognition for an entire family of restaurateurs who, for 40 years long, have kept this famous Alsatian restaurant at the pinnacle of French gastronomy. The leading trio of the oldest three-star restaurants in France stands as follows today: first, Paul Bocuse (1965); second, the Haeberlin family (1967); and third, the Troisgros family (1968). At a time when the star system has gained a foothold in kitchens and when the temptation is great for any even only slightly creative chef to take himself for Michel Angelo, it is finally quite comforting to observe that simplicity and kindness are still held as virtues at these 'old-timers' of French cuisine. What a pleasure to visit the Haeberlins in the little village of Illhaeusern, 9 miles to the north of Colmar on the Wines road. The September anniversary was naturally a time to duly celebrate 40 years as a three-star restaurant. But that won't go to their head. At Auberge de l'Ill they'll keep their good humour and air of not taking themselves seriously!  © Auberge de l'Ill A magical place laden with historyLocated on the banks of the Ill, a plentiful river that rises in the Jura and flows through the Alsation plain, the Haeberlin's restaurant has seen in 150 years four generation of cooks. Frédéric, Marc's grandfather was even born here (in 1888), as well as his father and uncle (Paul in 1923 and Jean-Pierre in 1925). Destroyed in 1940 at the time of the Debacle, the Auberge, then called the L'Arbre vert, was to be rebuilt in 1950 in the middle of a landscaped garden planted with willows, flat-bottomed boats awaiting on the river. The two brothers, Paul and Jean-Pierre, who both experienced the horrors of the war (one as a Resistance fighter, the other as a prisoner) then had one and only one goal in mind: to make their restaurant, above all known before the war for its game and its eels stewed in wine sauce, a new Mecca of French cuisine, on a par with Mère Brazier at the Luère Pass, Fernand Point in Vienne and the Grand Véfour in Paris... The two brothers were to form a formidable duo: Paul, in the kitchens, applied the principles of his mentor Édouard Weber (a former cook at the court of the Romanovs in Saint Petersbourg), while Jean-Pierre, a Fine Arts graduate, in the dining room as head waiter, acted out his role in Louis Jouvet theatrical style... 1952: Auberge de l'Ill obtained its first star. 1957: second star. 1967: third star. In 1976, new handover of roles at the Haeberlins: Marc (who in the meanwhile had gone round France working at the best cooks of the time: Bocuse, Lasserre and Troisgros) took over from Paul at the stoves, helped out by the brilliant Serge Dubs who, in 1989, was honoured with the distinction of 'Meilleur Sommelier du Monde' (World's Best Wine Waiter).  Marc Haeberlin © Auberge de l'Ill Cooking is inborn in the Haeberlins!Marc Haeberlin was not content however with merely keeping the stars his father had earned for the Auberge: he wanted to innovate and adapt to the tastes of the time. 'When my father was awarded his third star in 1967 we were still serving melon with port and avocado with shrimps... That just goes to show how much our cuisine has evolved over the past 40 years!' Marc's strength in this process has been to elaborate contemporary cuisine that is precise, easily digestible and full of contrasts (which has not failed to infuriate his father who finds his innovations too bold!), but also firmly anchored in his region of birth. For instance, even if like everyone else he uses Alba truffles, Iranian caviar and Brittany lobster, Marc finds malicious pleasure in cooking Krautergersheim sauerkraut, carps, pikeperch and pike from the Rhine, and game and wild birds his hunter friends bring him... His cuisine is based on suggestive hints, allusions and reminiscences, like his knepflas* (little round pâtés that used to be made in Alsace), kouglof, or beer icecream served over a citrus fruit salad with gingerbread (a real Alsatian dessert of the past). Marc Haeberlin's dishes are also slightly spicy, like his lacquered mallard confit with figs, or goose foie gras fried with pineapple and cardamom: 'Alsace, Marc reminds us, was for long a region of markets and merchants, influenced by the Jewish community and their central European cuisine'. Turning to the wines, the faithful Serge Dubs, who has never wanted to leave the auberge, has composed a 'hymn' to Alsatian wines with no less than 150 references on the wine menu.  Mousseline de grenouilles « Paul Haeberlin » © E. Tresmontant/ViaMichelin Auberge de l'Ill's classical dishesStill today, Marc's menu continues to propose the great dishes that made his father's reputation, like mousseline of frogs 'Paul Haeberlin'. To accompany this classic of French cuisine, Serge Dubs proposes a remarkable Riesling Altenberg grand cru 1995 from Domaine Lorentz, one of the most densely planted vineyards in Alsace. The vivacity of this Riesling combines perfectly with the softness of the mousse (composed of pike fish and frog meat). Quail stuffed with calf sweetbread, marinated Barigoule artichoke and mustard leaf, fig fritters is an extremely refined dish exalting the aromas of nature. The Pinot gris 1998 cuvée Jubilée by Jean Hugel is an excellent partner with its supple and full body and its spicy aromas.  Soupe de pêches verveine © E. Tresmontant/ViaMichelin The noisettes of venison with wild mushrooms, compote of beetroot with spices and bubbespitzle* with cream cheeseform a delicious autumnal dish to be enjoyed while admiring the storks over the River Ill... For the wine, without any hesitation try the great Pinot noir Clos Saint Andelin by René Muré at Rouffach: a dense tannic wine made organically (25 hl / ha) capable of rivalling with the greatest Bourgognes! For dessert, the very refreshing verbena peach soup and ewe milk yoghurt will round off your meal on a light note. Haeberlin menu at 145 ¤. *Which means 'kids' willies' in Alsatian... L'Auberge de l'Ill 2, rue de Collonges au Mont d'Or 68970 Illhaeusern Tel.: 03 89 71 89 00 |
Tourism and Gastronomy
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