David Parkin on La Grillade, motorway madness and the best pub in Yorkshire

“WHAT are you going to do without La Grillade?” I was asked several times this week.

Judging by the number of comments on our story about the demise of the storied French brasserie in Leeds, others are also experiencing a similar sense of loss.

So far, the closest I have come to recreating the experience is to sit in a darkened room glugging red wine while watching DVD box sets of ‘Allo ‘Allo and slapping myself around the face with a raw steak.

Well it works for me missus.

Many have been reflecting this week about why the basement restaurant on Wellington Street had the magic touch. Certainly 33 years is an incredible length of time for owner Guy Martin-Laval to have run a restaurant at the top of its game.

In terms of food and wine, quality and consistency were key. Staff came and went (he has probably trained most of the restaurant staff in Leeds over the years) but Guy oversaw things with his unique Gallic personality.

He used to bemoan the pressures of being a restaurauteur on many occasions but I don’t think any of us actually expected the closure of La Grillade.

There are more fingers on one hand than the number of restaurants for business diners in the city centre that are actually run by their owners – Sous le Nez, Brasserie 44 and The Foundry.

And the competition for who serves the best steak in Leeds is now wide open. In my opinion La Grillade had the competition well beat on the steak front – now they’ve got to step up to the plate.

So what does the future hold for Guy? Well he says he wants to return to the city’s restaurant scene. And if the closure of La Grillade has achieved anything then it has shown him that he has a loyal customer base and perhaps reminded diners that you shouldn’t take anywhere for granted.

While British literary living legend, Leeds-born Alan Bennett, was a regular visitor, La Grillade was not graced by a host of well known faces and that was because Guy didn’t treat them as celebrities, just as customers.

He was reflecting this week on the heyday of “The Big Grillade” – when he moved from Wellington Street to a big brasserie on East Parade, where Blackhouse Grill is now.

There was the time when France played Spain at Elland Road during the Euro ’96 football tournament and the head of car giant Renault arrived for dinner with several guests.

Rather than being welcomed with open arms by his French host, he was berated for arriving in two chauffeur-driven Mercedes as Guy pointed out his own Renault car parked outside.

Actors appearing at city theatres or filming at the Yorkshire TV studios would invariably be pointed in the direction of La Grillade.

“That man who was the bald Indian chief came in one night,” Guy recalled this week.

“Do you mean Sitting Bull?” I asked.

“Don’t be ridiculous. I meant Gandhi,” he replied.

“What, Gandhi actually dined at La Grillade?” I said, rather surprised.

“Don’t be ridiculous, I meant Ben Kingsley, who played Gandhi in the film,” he said.

Apparently the great thespian returned on several occasions, enjoying the fact that he was treated like any other customer and told to wait at the bar until a table was available.

So what does the future hold? Well the city, which has too many plastic, uninspiring, poorly-staffed places to eat, is now worse off.

Let’s hope La Grillade can make a return soon.

And believe me, I know there are always two sides to every story. Being Guy’s landlord must be a challenging job. The only two tougher roles would be those of his lawyer and accountant.

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A REPORT this week said that the Government is considering placing a 60 mph limit on a long stretch of the M1 between Derbyshire and South Yorkshire.

Apparently the idea is based on research that shows such restrictions can cut air pollution and reduce congestion.

It would be in place from junction 28, near Matlock, Derbyshire, to junction 35a, north of Rotherham from 7am to 7pm.

Quite frankly being able to drive at 60 mph on the M1 would be an achievement.

There are at least three 50 mph limits in place on stretches of the motorway in West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire and Derbyshire.

So anything that gets the cones off our motorways has got to be an improvement.

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WHAT’S the best pub in Yorkshire?

Well, last night, for one night only, it was the top floor offices of accountants Baker Tilly in Leeds.

With several barrels of Black Sheep beer on hand and premises packed with entrepreneurs, bankers, lawyers and other members of the region’s business community, there was certainly a buzz to the place.

The firm even had giant beer mats produced for their “Yorkshire Inn” evening bearing the phrase: ‘Looking forward, working together.”

I thought it was a good idea and a successful event, and I only had one pint. But then when you can enjoy the company of Baker Tilly’s Tim Parr, Neil Sevitt and Kevin O’Connor, who needs booze to have a good time?