A centuries-long French tradition of celebrating good food, fine wine and the company of friends has made its way to the CSRA.
La Confrérie de la Chaine des Rotisseurs is a food and wine society that traces its origins to the establishment of a guild of goose roasters by King Louis IX in 1248. This guild spent hundreds of years developing its culinary arts until it was dissolved during the French Revolution.
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The Chaine was revived in 1950 by chefs Louis Giraudon and Marcel Dorin, journalist Jean Valby, gastronomy writer Curnonsky (the pen name of writer Maurice Edmond Sailland) and physician Dr. Auguste Bécart.
Since then, it has grown into an international gourmand organization, headquartered in Paris, with 125 bailliages, or chapters, in the Americas alone.
“It’s a purely gourmet society,” said John Green, president of the new Augusta chapter. “It’s about fellowship, without any politics. Just having nice meals.”
John Green is no stranger to admiring fine dining and quality wines, having been a member in the Palm Beach, Fl. chapter before moving to the Augusta area. A veteran of the hospitality and restaurant industries, John Green is currently a partner with the Cork & Flame restaurant in Evans. This connection proved convenient for the complicated task of starting a local Chaine chapter.
“I had to find people who were willing to join,” said Green. “Having the restaurant helped, because we do the wine dinners here.”
The Augusta bailliage of the Chaine des Rotisseurs had its inaugural dinner at the Cork & Flame on Aug. 12. The first new club members enjoyed a six-course meal that included halibut and blue fin tuna.
“It was the trio of game for me,” said Green, referring to his favorite course of the evening. “It was unusual: the elk, the bison and the wild boar.”
The club now has 25 core members, which Green hopes to increase to 60 over the course of the year. Green also aims to expand the Chaine’s reach to Aiken.
He notes that the regional heads of the Chaines in other parts of the country are very happy with the launching of the new chapter. He feels that the reputation of the Cork & Flame as well as that of Augusta, with its country clubs and Augusta National, could prove a draw for potential members.
“It improves our image in our town,” said Ginny Green, John’s wife and also a member. “It brings people in.”
The challenge of expansion, John Green says, has more to do with what local fine dining establishments can and will accommodate than who might be willing to join.
“They haven’t been a community of restaurants,” said John Green. “It’s been more about competition, not community.”
The new club president, or bailli, is optimistic about the organization’s growth, and its future in educating and encouraging. Aside from hosting future dinners at fine dining establishments and country clubs throughout the area, the club will have culinary students from Helms College involved.
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John Green and the Chaine are prepared to push forward on the firm foundation on some of their traditional rules, which include maxims such as eat when you are served, and keep no salt and pepper at the table, so as to honor the time, labor and artistry of the chef.
“Water is for thirst,” John Green said, reciting another classic dictum of the Chaine. “Wine is for taste.”
The Chaine des Rotisseurs of Augusta is actively seeking members. For more information email John Green at johnogreen@aol.com.
Skyler Q. Andrews is a staff reporter covering Columbia County with The Augusta Press. Reach him at skyler@theaugustapress.com.
