Restaurant
64° the restaurant, winstub du Chambard, three Flamme & Co, 1741, Côté Cour, Côté Four. In Alsace, the Nasti family carries high the flavors of gastronomy under the unfailing impulse of Olivier, best worker in France and two Michelin stars.
Latest edition : 26 April 2020
Olivier Nasti is one of the chefs who are as creative as they are communicative. Thanks to his participation in shows like Master Chef, it is not only in Alsace that his name (and his cuisine) is known.
He says of himself that he is stubborn and ambitious. Obstinacy, it took him to obtain the title of MOF (best worker in France). It fails a first time, even a second? Regardless, he will work even harder to get there and the work has paid off.
Even if afterwards, he had to wait a long time to finally win this second star, largely deserved according to the gourmets who frequent Chambard, recently renamed 64°, the Restaurant. The reason for this wait? Perhaps the opening of other establishments stamped “Nasti”.
Olivier Nasti too dissipated then? “I think it was to see if we were going to remain constant in the quality of our work,” supposes the chef, who is as demanding with himself as with those who work with him. “I want to pass on my know-how, but to go from good to exceptional, you have to have a perfect team. There is only one way to do this: training at all times. »
Oliver Nasti, born in a small village in the Territoire de Belfort, knows what he is talking about. In 84, he began his apprenticeship at Château Servin (two stars) in Belfort, when he had thought of perhaps becoming a baker.
“At the time, it was much harder, with only one day off per week, days that started very early and ended very late. Everything had to be done: the dishwashing, the laundry, the garden. It was extremely formative and I learned the rigor and the requirement of a job well done! »
To complete his training, Olivier Nasti went to Lausanne, London, Luxembourg before returning to Alsace to work at Schillinger, at Haeberlin. In 1993, he moved to the cellar in Eguisheim, before opening the Hostellerie du château in 1995 with his brother Emmanuel, the "builder" of the family who also signs the fabulous wine list.
In 2001, the two brothers bought the Chambard hotel in Kaysersberg. They undertake major works: the (very cozy and luxurious) winstub opens wide onto the street; a large bay window allows you to observe the team in the kitchen. The hotel rooms and the magnificent spa are being modernized, taking on dapper colours, as is the gourmet restaurant. “I was fed up with black, I needed color! »
Le 64° is available all in gold and parma, from the magnificent designer brasserie chairs to the voluptuous benches and the custom-made beech table legs. No more heavy toppings: the gold-coloured leather table runners highlight the wooden top but also the crystal and the delicate crockery. In short, a setting as elegant as it is contemporary and a bit kitsch for creative cuisine.
"But not Japanese," smiles Olivier Nasti, who celebrates local cuisine and products. Acidity, bitterness, textures: everything must be in balance. Even if the composition is delicate and complex, it must be simple and readable on the plate, the dish must remain beautiful until the end”.
The texture and flavors of seasonal products are enhanced both on the gastronomic side and on the winstub side, which consecrates the Alsatian terroir.
“There are a lot of great things to do in catering, and working in a beautiful house, with excellent hospitality right up to the table, is great! »
Despite obtaining the second star, the €44 menu is still on the menu. The only thing that changes: “I am even more specialized in researching my products! But is it possible?
In the Nasti family, there is also the brother, Emmanuel. If he is less talked about, he is closely associated with the rise of the Nasti universe. An architect by trade, he lent a hand to his brother indoors. An increasingly demanding task to the point of forcing him to leave his profession to devote himself, too, to gastronomy. "At the beginning, I didn't even know how to place the cutlery correctly," smiles the man who has become "the wine reference" of Nasti establishments.
"I didn't take any sommelier training, but I learned from the best, Pascal Leonetti, best sommelier in France, Albert Mann, winemaker of the year 2012... With them, I discovered the wines of all the terroirs, the vinification techniques. Wine is my great passion, especially Alsace wine. ". Wine for Emmanuel is a passion and a glance at the impressive wine list of 64° is enough to see it.
In Colmar, he manages the chic and gourmet brasserie and bakery, Côté Cour-Côté Four. Nasti had to be present in Colmar. Just like in Strasbourg where Olivier Nasti has teamed up with Cédric Moulot of 1741 who has just won his 1st star. Gastronomy at Nasti has also taken over an emblematic Alsatian dish, tarte flambée. With his brother and brother-in-law Olivier Lammert, the tireless chef founded Flamme & Co, a brand present in Kaysersberg, Strasbourg and Mulhouse.
The key to this success? The constant search for perfection, working as a family: his wife Patricia takes care of the winstub, his sister-in-law of the hotel reception. To relax, Olivier goes to Scotland to fish for salmon. Or he goes hunting and the game is then found on the map of establishments stamped Nasti.
But by the way, 64°, funny name for a gourmet restaurant! As people often confused the winstub and the Chambard gourmet restaurant, something else had to be found. 64° is the ideal cooking temperature for... eggs!
