Last week I was at Verre Vole, the wine bar near the Canal St. Martin when my publisher, Jean Paul Rocher said, "PIerre Jancou sold Racines."

The last to know, I thought. The last to know. Why when I emailed Pierre a few days ago to tell him I'd see him the next time I was in Paris did he not tell me this was my last chance? Ironically, the first time we met, he practically threw me out of his bar a vin, Le Cremerie. Somehow we overcame that blip and forged a connection.

This morning Pierre sent an email around to some of his fans, admirers and friends to come and take a glass at Racines on the 22nd of October as he was headed to the Drome to his family.

Bonjour a tous,
finalement Racines sera vendu vendredi prochain
et je vais aller vers de nouvelles aventures plus
proche de ma famille dans la Drome.

The last time I was in was with my friend Jeremy Parzen

and his fiance, the lovely Tracie B

While I complained about the sticker shock, that's because I live the life of a writer and not someone on salary.

In reality, Pierre's attention to the ingredient was unparalleled. Forget Thomas Keller. Forget Peter Hoffman, with all due respect his attention to the leaf, the leg and the cream had no peer. Of course the place, as was his other, Caves Miard, Le Cremerie, was tiny and he had the time and ironically, the room to squander attention on the minutiae, which made the dining experience, and his hard-core sans soufre wines, a sublime charmer.

I am also indebted to him as he sent my French Daughter to me, La Petite Pascaline, when he staged a tasting for me in 2007, at Le Tampon ( around the corner from Le Muse Vin near Bastille, the salon, and non-toxic furniture restorer friend of his) and asked Pascaline to play sommelier.

Pierre in back of Alice, Pat 'Griottes,' Pascaline, and to Pascalines left, Julien Courtois

I don't know who the new owners are for the teensy resto in the Passage des Panoramas, and they have a hard act to follow.

Pierre is a restless creative. He'll be back in some form, he will reinvent himself and another space once again.