User:Valereee/Les Mères Allard

Les Mères Allard were a mother-in-law and daughter-in-law in Paris who were called Mère, a traditional title for talented women cooks in France.

Marthe Meuriot, a native of Morvan, married Marcel Allard in 1920, and together they opened a bistro in the 13th arrondisement. Her specialties included Burgundy stew, pot-au-feu, and jugged rabbit, served mostly to lower-class customers. They moved to the rue Saint-Andre-des-Arts in the 6th arrondisement and she continued to produce Burgundian dishes such as poached pike with beurre blanc, roast guinea fowl, and lamb stew. Food historian Nicolas de Rabaudy described her as a "Burgundian Mère Brazier."

After World War II the restaurant was taken over by her son André and his wife, Fernande, like her mother-in-law a native of Morvan, took over. Fernande also became known as Mère Allard. Her specialties included pate en croute, cassoulet, veal with onions and bacon, lamb stew, lentils with salt pork, braised beef with carrots, and chicken in red wine. Each specialty was a plat du jour; the cassoulet was served Mondays, the coq au vin on Tuesdays, and so on.

As of 2001 the restaurant was still in operation.