“We love what we do, and we just do it,” said Hardy, describing the star as “une belle surprise.”

A classically trained ballerina from Bulgaria turned restauratrice, Hardy calls upon her artistic and theatrical inclinations to complement the creations of her husband, Chef Philippe Hardy. The couple met at the French Embassy in Sofia where he was a chef, and she a teacher. Now, more than a decade after a coup de foudre prompted their marriage and return to the chef’s native Normandy where they opened a restaurant together, he works the kitchen preparing meals and she works the dining room, preparing memories. 

“Having dinner at a restaurant is an event,” said Nadia, “and one must never trivialize such an event.” This is the unofficial mantra of Le Mascaret, where endlessly evolving menus, tastes, sensations, and souvenirs nourish the bodies as well as the hippocampi of casual diners and the occasional undercover Michelin inspector.

Hardy recalls an evening when after anonymously dining on live langoustines and a turbo emulsion aux plantes du potager, a Michelin inspector revealed his identity and praised the untraditional flair of the food. In doing so, he was likely making a particular reference to dessert, a chocolate macaron served with a cloud of nitrogen oxide, then tempered with steaming hot chocolate nectar to create an extreme contrast in temperature. To add further stimulation to the senses, the macaron was served with a spiced-mint inhalation and light music accompanied its arrival at the table. 

“We put great emphasis on our ingredients, their preparation, and their presentation because we want the experience to be as personal as possible,” said Hardy, delighted that the Michelin guide had responded well to their originality. “They tend to favour the classic,” she added, suggesting that the Michelin’s evolving tastes may have something to do with the times.

Especially during periods of economic uncertainty, Hardy says that chefs need to channel their creativity, discover a style, and provide dining experiences that are worth the splurge of spending money at a restaurant. “The restaurant industry is comprised not only of chefs and wait staff, but of farmers, fisherman, bakers, and truck drivers, she said. “They are all part of the reason we’ve earned a star, and we need to ensure their jobs are not jeopardized,” she continued, expressing hope that other restaurateurs are embracing recession challenges and doing the same.

Unlike most restaurateurs in this climate, the Hardy’s and their staff are scrambling to answer phones and accommodate endless new reservations. Yet well-aware that it takes more than a star to make them twinkle, they continue to mine new ingredients, flavours, and experiences with which to entice their diners.

“Le bonheur est un bon souvenir," said Hardy, although she could have easily added, “And good meals are good memories.” 

For further information on Le Mascaret, please visit: http://www.restaurant-lemascaret.fr/