Desert Island Dish with Péché's John Lichtenberger
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Photo illustration: Axios Visuals; Photo: Courtesy of Péché
As part of our running feature about Austin chefs' favorite meals, we recently caught up with John Lichtenberger, the chef and co-owner of Péché, an absinthe bar and French brasserie.
The background: A native New Yorker, Lichtenberger relocated to Central Texas two decades ago, settling with his wife in Wimberley.
- Péché, which means "sin," serves up classic French fare — French onion soup, escargot, steak tartare, rabbit ravioli, duck confit, veal sweetbreads — in a classy, exposed brick spot by Fourth and Colorado Streets. It's been open nearly 20 years.
- "It's a tiny, tiny kitchen and we make it work," Lichtenberger says. (New hires are tested on how they perform in a tight space during the crush of a Saturday night service — and whether they can execute an omelet.)
You're on a desert island. What's the one dish you'd like with you?
"The monkfish at Le Bernardin. It's a wonderful fish — and I was taught there how to cook it properly. 'To overcook the fish is criminal,' Gilbert Le Coze (the co-owner) used to say, in his French accent. The fish is garbage if not cooked properly."
How about dessert?
"That's an easy one — crème brûlée. My wife and I like to share one — it's the perfect amount of sweetness, the perfect ending to a meal. I must say, ours is the best — we use real vanilla beans."
You can also bring a libation.
"It would have to be a chilled Sancerre. There's a place in Wimberley called Wineberley — they always have one waiting for me. The other thing I'd try to do [is] sneak in a bottle of cognac and a box of cigars. Look up at stars and contemplate the world."