RESTAURANT RESPONDS

To the Editors of The Crimson:

Your recent September 20 Registration Edition carried an unsigned review of our restaurant which contained erroneous and misleading statements and if unchallenged will undoubtedly result in damage to our reputation, loss of clientele and loss of business.

"Chez Jean" was established 17 years ago by Chef Jean Lagouarde after bringing the first authentic French cuisine to Boston, Cambridge and the environs in 1950 at another Harvard Square French restaurant. Before arriving in the United States, he had worked in France at very reputable establishments such as "Le Martinez" in Cannes, and "La Poularde" in Nice. As our advertisements in the Harvard Crimson announce for many years now, we are a "Distinctive French Restaurant" with the "Finest Cuisine." As such, we are not, nor should we be confused or compared with the "Quick-Food" or non-specialty type restaurants.

Our hostess (not "maitre d'"), one of two ladies with years of experience, manages the Dining Room where the service is never slow but unhurried to allow maximum dining enjoyment.

The "Chez Jean" menu, (anything but "limited") includes several French specialities of fish, poultry, beef and lamb as the enclosed menu will attest and what better proof of the excellence of our food (not "poor to mediocre") is there than the 17 years we have served discriminating diners from Harvard, Cambridge and the environs who often fill our Dining Room to capacity and who insure their place by making reservations on Fridays and Saturdays. No French dinner is complete without authentic French bread and our "Baguette", delivered from a local baker, is intentionally crisp (not "dry") just like the Parisian Baguette. Our desserts, except for the ice cream, are expertly prepared fresh several times weekly ("stale"?) on the premises and have become talking pieces to our regular patrons. And for all of this--finest cuisine and true French atmosphere--our complete dinners begin at $5.65 and average $7.00 (not "eight bucks").

"Chez Jean" is proud of its success and is very jealous to protect its name and reputation against false and misleading statements wherever they occur. Although we have attempted to point out some of the glaring errors and misrepresentations contained in your review, we did not feel that a point by point rebuttal was appropriate at this time. We do feel, however, that the first step towards correcting the damage caused by your review would be to publish this letter and allow your readers--whether in "jeans" or in a suit and whether they "act snobby" or civil--to learn for themselves. May I also add that in 1971 Holiday Magazine awarded Chez Jean for distinctive dining and that we are also favorably listed in the Mobil and Gulf Travel Guides. Madeleine Lagouarde   Jean-Pierre Lagouarde

Editor's Note: Restaurant evaluations, like other opinions, are personal reactions and can seldom be classified as correct or incorrect. The Crimson encourages and respects the rights of both its reviewers and readers to express their own views.