Le Jazz turns 12 and shares its recipes in a book

In December 2009, Rua dos Pinheiros was still far from being one of the busiest and most gastronomic in the busiest and most gastronomic neighborhood in the city.

But it was there, between the corners of Joaquim Antunes and Cônego Eugênio Leite, in a property previously occupied by a workshop, that Chico Ferreira and Gil Carvalhosa Leite chose to plant a bistro with a very French soul, Le Jazz.

São Paulo was experimenting with the fashion of contemporary cuisine, with its deconstructions and molecular experiments, but the duo chose the opposite path and bet on the classic French menu.

The imposing houses, built with millionaire investments, were also successful, but the two preferred to open a small and cozy store, which did not work with reservations, and which ended up incorporating the long lines to the facade decoration.

The result, the São Paulo native already knows: the formula proved to be right and Le Jazz gave birth in the following years, with Paulo Bitelman already in society, gaining three more units, bigger and more scintillating. Rua dos Pinheiros, which used to serve as a hurried passage between important avenues, was marked by the restaurant’s history — who usually walks there on weekends attests.

The story is told by journalist Luiz Américo Camargo in “Alma de Bistrô – A Trajetória do Le Jazz”, a book that has just come out of the oven by the publisher Amê Content.

In 272 pages richly illustrated by photos by Romulo Fialdini, Camargo entertains the reader with all the behind-the-scenes stories of the venture, from the design of the project and the construction of the menu to the close relationship with common and famous customers — all intertwined with generous pinches of French culture and jazz.

The meticulous documentation that the partners kept, including photos of the assembly of the salon, and a collection of texts by guest columnists, such as Josimar Melo, Mariliz Pereira Jorge and Antonio Prata, all columnists for the sheetmake the historic tour of the 12 years of the house even more fun.

Ferreira explains the broken date: “The idea was to launch the book in 2020, right after the tenth anniversary. Then the pandemic came and the project ended up coming out two years later, with an additional chapter on this phase”.

Page 177 begins a no less tasty slice of the book: the Recipe Book. There are 30, from starters to desserts, plus 14 of drinks, chosen among the most popular in the bistro, including the history of the dishes and tips from the chef so that the preparations work in the domestic kitchen.

There are filet au poivre with a cognac-based sauce, filet à la moutarde and steak tartare, to eat with fries or salad, as well as the biggest hit of all time: the mollet egg, breaded in bread flour, which should go to the table with the soft yolk, served with mushrooms sautéed in butter.

Choosing just 30 dishes, confesses Ferreira, was a real exercise in conciseness. “A lot of things were left out. Initially, we made a selection of about 40 recipes, including some that marked an era and are no longer on the menu, because I’m very nostalgic. But the beauty of the photos helped us close the 30.”