Le Papillon (restaurant)
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}}
{{Infobox restaurant
| name = Le Papillon
| logo =
| image =
| established = {{start date and age|1977}}
| current-owner = Mike Mashayekh
| head-chef = Scott Cooper
| food-type = French
| dress-code = Business casual
| rating =
| street-address = 410 Saratoga Avenue
| city = San Jose
| state = California
| zip = 95129
| country = United States
| coordinates = {{Coord|37|19|11|N|121|58|21|W|region:US-CA_type:landmark|display=inline,title}}
| seating-capacity = 65
| reservations = Suggested
| other-information =
| website = {{URL|www.lepapillon.com|LePapillon.com}}
}}
Le Papillon (the French word for butterfly, {{IPA|fr|lə papiˈjɔ̃|pron}}) is a French restaurant located in San Jose, California.
Le Papillon is located on a busy street corner between a hotel and a strip mall.{{cite news |title=Review: San Jose's Le Papillon offers outstanding French cuisine for special-occasion dining |first=Jennifer |last=Graue |newspaper=San Jose Mercury News |publisher=MediaNews Group |date=2010-06-09 |access-date=2010-06-23 |url=http://www.mercurynews.com/restaurants/ci_15262374 |quote=Le Papillon, I was reminded there is a reason that stocks, and therefore sauces, are the foundation}} Although the surrounding area is prosaic, the restaurant is "elegant (and expensive)".{{cite news |title=French Connection – Fine dining at Le Papillon means stepping into another world |first=Stett |last=Holbrook |newspaper=Metro Silicon Valley |publisher=Metro Newspapers |date=2005-08-10 |access-date=2010-06-23 |url=http://www.metroactive.com/papers/metro/08.10.05/dining-0532.html |quote=Stepping through the doors of Le Papillon, you leave the noise and exhaust}} Customers are pampered by "many people in suits".{{cite web |url=http://markssfdiningclub.pbworks.com/ReviewLePapillon |title=Le Papillon Review |last=Pearson |first=Mark |date=2008-12-07 |publisher=PBworks |access-date=2010-07-12 |quote=dim lighting, many people in suits, no windows}} Le Papillon specializes in contemporary French cuisine.{{cite news |title=French Dressing |first=Christina |last=Waters |newspaper=Metro Silicon Valley |publisher=Metro Newspapers |date=2001-09-27 |access-date=2010-07-14 |url=http://www.metroactive.com/papers/metro/09.27.01/dining-0139.html |quote=Contemporary French cuisine is the house specialty}}
Owner Mike Mashayekh[http://www.mercurynews.com/portlet/article/html/render_gallery.jsp?articleId=15262374&siteId=568&startImage=1 Photo of owner Mike Mashayekh with customers in Le Papillon] opened Le Papillon in 1977 in a remodeled coffee shop at its current location.{{cite news |title=Fresh French cuisine at classic Le Papillon: Elegant eatery plays with inventive dishes |first=Aleta |last=Watson |newspaper=San Jose Mercury News |publisher=MediaNews Group |date=2007-02-11 |access-date=2010-06-23 |url=http://events.mercurynews.com/reviews/show/5730-review-le-papillon |quote=formally clad servers, theatrical flowers and gilt-framed prints of the butterflies}} Mashayekh was also co-owner of La Foret restaurant (another French restaurant in San Jose) with John Davoudi. Mashayekh and Davoudi were friends before they emigrated to the United States. They had been in the Iranian Army together{{cite news |title=Meet Your Neighbors – Carolyn and Scott Cooper |first=Dede |last=Smullen |newspaper=Almaden Winery Neighborhood Association Newsletter |publisher=Almaden Winery Neighborhood Association |access-date=2010-06-23 |pages=3 & 5 |url=http://www.awna.org/pdfs/Vol9-Issue4.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110904194449/http://www.awna.org/pdfs/Vol9-Issue4.pdf |archive-date=2011-09-04 |quote=La Foret, owned by her uncle John Davoudi}} [https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:VjDB5IzEA8AJ:www.awna.org/pdfs/Vol9-Issue4.pdf+%22Mike+Mashayekh%22&hl=en&gl=us&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESiNmEH52qhxRIMHrAs-Eow5uXWcFrdl9cwNpLzzDfhpJJKPebCfgN4ErgFcFZ1WLquzhgRSJZrLlRunOCOhu5gktE3WAavijWJmzGxhj9ByovXpp32PXiPbuyR8VN9NJM63swmG&sig=AHIEtbQNoFqpFMvQaU_KxuS387lf7WXlFA Alt URL], Volume 9, Issue 4, August 2004 before the overthrow of the Shah.
Before moving to San Jose, Mashayekh had lived in Santa Maria, California where he met and married the mother of Scott Cooper (Le Papillon's Executive Chef). Cooper was a young boy at the time. The family moved to San Jose so that Mashayekh could attend San Jose State University.
Staff
Executive Chef Scott Cooper[http://www.goodeyephotography.com/photos/456185431_odBjF-S.jpg Photo of Le Papillon Executive Chef Scott Cooper] was born in Santa Maria, California{{cite web |url=http://www.sanjose.com/interview-scott-cooper-a26841 |title=Interview: Scott Cooper |last=Holbrook |first=Stett |date=2010-02-11 |publisher=SanJose.com |access-date=2010-07-12 |quote=I was born in Santa Maria, so tri-tip is close to my heart.}} and was 12 years old when his stepfather Mike Mashayekh opened Le Papillon. Cooper attended Leland High School in San Jose. Cooper joined Le Papillon's staff in 1992.{{cite web |url=http://www.toprestaurants.com/sf/Lepapillon.htm |title=Le Papillon |publisher=TopRestaurants.com |access-date=2010-06-23 |quote=Le Papillon has evolved since 1977 to become a landmark in the gastronomical world}} He started as a dishwasher, and moved up to bus boy, prep cook, pantry, line cook, and many other positions, before becoming the Executive Chef. He also cooked for eight years at La Foret, the sister restaurant of Le Papillon. Cooper's wife is a niece of Mashayekh's partner John Davoudi. Cooper is an avid exerciser who runs and mountain bikes.
Brian Fernando is Sous Chef.{{cite news |title=Still Shining Brightly After Thirty Years |first=Rita |last=Vanderaa |newspaper=Explore |publisher=Explore Publishing, Inc. |date=2010-01-06 |access-date=2010-07-16 |url=http://www.discovermag.com/pages/dining/lepapillon_review.html |quote=Le Papillon today is anything but traditional}}{{cite news |title=At Le Papillon, You Can Leave it Up to the Chef |first=Rita |last=Vanderaa |newspaper=Explore |publisher=Explore Publishing, Inc. |date=May 2010 |access-date=2010-07-14 |url=http://www.discovermag.com/pages/dining/lepapillon0510.html |quote=Creations are inspired by the day's freshest items}}
Camron Mashayekh (Mike Mashayekh's son) is Le Papillon's General manager and Sommelier.{{cite news |title=Le Papillon: Inspired French Cuisine |newspaper=Explore |publisher=Explore Publishing, Inc. |date=February 2009 |access-date=2010-06-23 |url=http://www.explorepublishing.com/pages/calendar/feb09/lepapillon.html |quote=Le Papillon is easy to fall in love with}}
Jondel Goldsmith is in charge of Catering and Special Events.
Omid Najian is Assistant Catering Director.
Ratings
Zagat Survey, in its San Francisco Bay Area Restaurants 2010, rated Le Papillon 27/30 for food, 23/30 for decor, and 27/30 for service. Zagat interprets these ratings as "extraordinary to perfection" for food and service, and "very good to excellent" for decor. Also, Zagat found Le Papillon to be one of the top two restaurants in the South Bay Area for service.{{cite book |title=San Francisco Bay Area Restaurants 2010 |editor1-first=Meesha |editor1-last=Halm |editor2-first=Karen |editor2-last=Hudes |year=2009 |publisher=Zagat Survey |location=New York, New York |isbn=978-1-60478-174-8 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/isbn_9781604781748/page/226 226, 5, 14] |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9781604781748/page/226 }}
The 2005 Zagat Survey ranked Le Papillon as one of the Bay Area's top five restaurants, giving it the highest marks for any Bay Area restaurant south of San Francisco.{{cite news |title=Top Marks (Encore!) for Le Papillon |first=Rita |last=Vanderaa |newspaper=Explore |publisher=Explore Publishing, Inc. |access-date=2010-07-16 |url=http://www.discovermag.com/pages/dining/lepapillon-review-old.html |quote=Zagat's 2005 survey is out, and San Jose's Le Papillon has been ranked as one of the Bay Area's top five dining spots}}
Foie gras protests in 2010
Animal activists conducted weekly street demonstrations at Le Papillon from April 3, 2010 to October 23, 2010, protesting the serving of foie gras by the restaurant. The weekly protest was conducted by [http://www.activistsforanimals.org/ Santa Clara County Activists for Animals] (SCCAA), a local group of animal-protection advocates. The protesters held signs and spoke to restaurant customers, offering them literature and asking them to ask the restaurant to stop serving foie gras. The protesters expressed the view that the method of foie gras production, including the force-feeding of ducks, is cruel and inhumane.
The protests ended when the restaurant removed foie gras from their menu and informed SCCAA that they would no longer serve it.{{cite web|url=http://strikingattheroots.wordpress.com/2010/11/30/persistence-is-key-to-victory-in-anti-foie-gras-campaign/ |title=Persistence Is Key to Victory in Anti-Foie Gras Campaign |first=Mark |last=Hawthorne |date=2010-11-30 |publisher=Striking at the Roots |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110817155738/http://strikingattheroots.wordpress.com/2010/11/30/persistence-is-key-to-victory-in-anti-foie-gras-campaign/ |archive-date=2011-08-17 |access-date=2011-07-25 |quote=At last, realizing the activists were not going away and were within their rights to demonstrate, Le Papillon relented and informed SCCAA they would no longer be selling foie gras. |url-status=dead}}
A California law (SB 1520) enacted in 2004 prohibits the production and sale of foie gras in California, but the law didn't go into effect until July 1, 2012.
See also
{{Portal|San Francisco Bay Area}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Official website|http://www.lepapillon.com/}}
- [http://www.laforetrestaurant.com/ La Foret Restaurant], San Jose, California—sister restaurant to Le Papillon
{{DEFAULTSORT:Papillon}}
Category:French-American culture in California
Category:French restaurants in California
Category:Restaurants in San Jose, California