Le Cat intro
Chat Noir, Chat Blanc
Nice, France
Le Cat intro
Chat Noir, Chat Blanc
Nice, France
Two Cool Cats!
Photography and intro By HENRY HARGREAVES, Interview by LAUREN LEVINGER
We were lucky enough to spend a few nights in Nice—a town of great French cuisine— over the summer. Keen to sample as much of it as possible, we were fortunate to meet local chef Giorgio Grilenzoni. Giorgio is the co-owner of a restaurant called Chat Noir, an eatery we discovered early on in the trip—and subsequently visited nearly every night after.
Milan-born Giorgio oversees most of the menu; Nico, his Serbian business partner, runs the floor and is in charge of dessert. Nestled in an alley, the restaurant is hard to find. But selfishly, after a handful of meals that ended with wine, weed, and wonderful company, we liked it that way.
"During family meal, we discuss just about anything, but music is the most debated topic"
Le Cat 2
Le Cat 2
"Niko is a pasta lover so I try to please him when it comes to preparing family meal"
YOU CAN’T GET IT AT HOME
My business partner, Niko Sikic, and i like to think of our restaurant as a spot where people come to get food that they are not able to prepare at home themselves. We share with them our "secrets" about food preparation, techniques, and ideas behind the recipes we use.
OUR PHILOSOPHY
Our philosophy is simple. We serve mediterranean food with seasonal ingredients. “Share” is the key word in our restaurant, all of our customers have a friendly and easy approach to life. Just as we do.
Le Cat 3
Le Cat 3
BLENDING IN
Our staff members don’t wear uniforms so everybody working can just feel like themselves
WHERE WE DINE
When we are done with service, we set up a table - during the off season we eat inside and in summer we eat in the street. If we are too tired, we get a sandwich and we run home to sleep. I also love to sit on the terrace feeling the sea breeze at night.
WHO IS FAMILY
Normally it’s just the 2 of us, Niko and I. But often we have staff, former employees or friends stopping by. Sometimes we even serve family meal to the customers who stay late. We can serve food to about a dozen people on a given night.
Le Cat 4
Le Cat 4
PASTA!
Niko is a pasta lover so i try to please him when it comes to preparing family meal, but it also depends on what we have on the menu that day.
My favorite pasta to make is a classic "carbonara" pasta so egg yolks beaten up with parmesan, ground black pepper, a little salt, some cooking water from the pasta and of course, I toss the pasta with the crispy guanciale (cured pork cheek) plus a pinch of love!
LEFTOVERS:
Since we change the menu very often there are always leftovers to rearrange and use for family meal.
MUSIC CONVERSATIONS
During family meal, we discuss just about anything, but music is the most debated topic. The one thing we don’t talk about is food!
BEST PART OF THE NIGHT
the best part of the meal is the people we share it with. It's very pleasant and relaxing - a perfect ending to a good day of work
find them here!
special thanks to Duncan Quinn and Dine Girl
