I have been a news junkie since I was a child, probably because we only
had one TV with rabbit ears. Every night after supper, I sat with my
dad and watched the CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite.
The earliest
memories I have of news stories are about Watergate, Patty Hearst and Princess Grace. I
remember the debates and controversy about the first two, but the
stories about Princess Grace were just enchanting. She gave hope to
little girls and women of all ages that you could grow up as a normal
girl in Pennsylvania, move to Hollywood, become a movie star and marry
a Prince.
A few years after I started my 'stewardess career', we started flying to
France in the summer months. We flew a lot of places and everyone had
their own agenda where they wanted to go every week. Mine was Nice, 10
miles from Monaco. For several summers in the mid 90's, I flew there
every week. I would persuade the crew that we had to take the train to
Monaco and eat at the most charming restaurant I have ever known. You
won't find a fancy web site on it, but it's still there.
The trip was a lovely 10-minute ride that hugged the coastline along the Cote d’Azur. We would climb the steps into the Principality of Monaco and make our way to the cathedral, the famous one where Princess Grace was married and is now buried. I discovered a small, charming restaurant, a stone's throw from the steps of the cathedral called Fredy's. There's no more than 10 or 12 tables but it’s a little jewel of a place. If you go early enough, around 6pm, you can hear the boy's choir rehearsing from the cathedral.
I always ordered the same thing from their pre-fixe menu. A delicious fresh crab salad, followed by a nice piece of crispy salmon in a saffron sauce followed by a desert of chocolate creme brulee. A few glasses of their house red wine made the perfect meal.
As a matter of fact, I ordered it so often and was there every week in those summers with different folks every time, that they referred to my meal as "The Princess of Atlanta Menu." It dawned on me one day they had absolutely no idea who I was or why I was there every week, all they knew was that I was from Atlanta.
I have not been there in several years but think about it often. I have had various friends over the years who have visited Monaco and I always tell them to go to "Fredy's" and ask for the "Princess of Atlanta" menu. Never fails. They always remember and I get rave reviews. Despite eating in some of the fanciest restaurants along the French Riviera, many say Fredy's was most definitely their favorite.
It's the closest thing I will ever experience to feeling like a Princess, but I'll take it.
Fredy's International
6, rue de l' Eglise
98000 - Monaco
Laura grew up in a small southern town in Georgia on a cotton and
pecan farm where life centered around family, friends and good food.
She has lived in Atlanta for 20 years and has been a Flight Attendant
for a major airline for 18 years, traveling the world in search for the
next best meal.