# Moulin Rouge in Athens!



## athenaeus (Jul 24, 2001)

Dear Friends
Last night a company I used to do business with organized an Avant -Premier screening of the film Moulin Rouge and afterwards a Moulin Rouge Party in Vardis Restaurant which is the only restaurant in Athens that is awarded with two Michelin Stars.
Pas mal...

The film : I Liked the film a lot! Imagine a Studio 54 (the famous Club in NY) party in Moulin Rouge!
Some combination!
Nicole Kidman was just dazzling!
I think that you will enjoy the film

Artists like you , you will find it very inspiring also!

And the party in Vardis afterwards...

Surprize - surprize!! Finger Food a la Francaise!
Exquisite!

You know, Athens is a very free and let's say not conservative city!
Some friends of mine that live in London call Athens the NYC of Europe!
So, the atmosphere in this restaurant was very Parisian and impressive it was not a country side Moulin Rouge that it would make everyone smile with sympathy. You know what I mean.

Lot of pink champaigne too!


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## zorba the greek (Oct 11, 2001)

Athenaeus

Can you be more specific about the finger menu? I would like to hear what the Chef had?
Is Jean de Grillion the chef of Vardis? I have heard some rumors that the Greek Chef who brought the Michelin stars in Athens, left Vardis.

I can imagine! A Moulin Rouge party in Athens...

I wish I was there!


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## soshouhar (Oct 20, 2001)

Dear Athenaeus:

Although I relate the Moulin Rouge more with "see-food" I believe that "finger-food" would also be appropriate with some blushing champagne.

I have some trouble relating Studio 54 to the Moulin Rouge atmosphere. The French Cabaret scene has a very human element that I found missing from the American night club scene. 

The French Cabaret culture is one that is associated with the flirting of the senses. I found the American Club scene to have a raw element that was far from appealing to me.


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## athenaeus (Jul 24, 2001)

Dear Soshouhar.

The chef in Vardis had the same opinion with you! So he played with every possible variation of salmon, trout , caviar , shrimp you can imagine!

I know what do you mean. Another big difference between Moulin Rouge and Studio 54 was that in the former they didn't need drugs to cheer up...

I think that entertainment cannot be separated by the general social enviroment.
Paris of Toulouse Lautrec with it's gay decadence produced Moulin Rouge. in that era people were respecting them selves and other people.

Moulin Rouge is a place that you can visit with your wife or husband , something that I doubt for Studio 54...

I do not know how old are you but my generation, that older people love to call "Generation X" or "lost generation" may not be as crazy and wilde as older ones but is not ashamed to admitt that what we value most is friendship, stability, partership, family, love ,being married to the same person for a life time 

I prefer people to trust me than like me or approve me for my "modern" life style! You know what I mean...I think that this is the "motto" of my generation.

I told you all these Soshouhar in order to explain why my generation that is more conservative than yours ( I think) loves to watch things like that from a distance and we do not object if this mixture of parisian cabarets and wilde clubbing is not of such a good taste.
Films like that are more of a documentary kind mostly, to us.

Maybe you are right but If wanted to amuse myself I wouldn't choose either Moulin Rouge nor to Studio 54 anyway! 
It just nice to observe those things from a distance especially if you are interested in culinary Arts.


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## soshouhar (Oct 20, 2001)

Dear Athenaeus:

What an elegant and insightful post!

The Moulin Roge provided the opportunity for a truly democratic night out, where the aristocrats would mingle with the courtesans and the absinthe-riddled bohemian artists and writers. It was an inspiration as well as a forum where ideas and believes were challenged as the spirits were aroused by the senses.

Unfortunately, today it's full of wealthy tourists prepared to pay the 1020F ticket for what is almost certainly the worst meal one can choose to have in Paris. The show, however, completely makes up for it.


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## athenaeus (Jul 24, 2001)

Yes!!! 

I had this parameter of political science's field that you pointed out in my mind but I forgot to mention it!
Thank you. 
Allow me please to remark though that this "democratic" approach to entertainment was possible to happen in Europe only!

As for tourists... I 'd better not open my mouth! They deserve it.


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## soshouhar (Oct 20, 2001)

Dear Athenaeus:

You are correct when you say that this phenomenon is strictly European.

The American culture, which has favoured time efficient meals and a "work hard - play hard" approach to life, has not provided the necessary environment for such forums as the Parisian cabarets, the British pubs or the Austrian cafes. I believe that Argentina is the only other country where this phenomenon exists outside of Europe.


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## olive branch (Oct 2, 2001)

I am but a simple mathematician, however it has been my observation that no matter where one finds one's self, there will be a comfortable and amusing place to enjoy. Granted, in some countries it is more likely to be a private home than a public place, but if you find this an important element of your life, you will seek it out wherever you are. I have been in many depressing and disgusting pubs in England, and in some merry and sociable homes elsewhere. I question your generalizations...

Love ~ Debbie


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## soshouhar (Oct 20, 2001)

Dear Debbie:

You are absolutely correct.

I am glad to see that you agree with me that for some people, this element of our lives is not considered important. 

As for the depressing and disgusting English pubs that you mentioned in your post, I am really sorry that you did not have better guidance in your travels. I hope that next time you decide to visit Britain you will seek the advice of some of our British friends in this forum as I plan to to consult locals next time that I visit California. I remember the first time that I visited Los Angeles, I decided to take a stroll down Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood after dinner. A relaxing walk after dinner is kind of a personal tradition. I have to admit that I consider my self lucky to be alive today after that Hollywood night stroll. As you can imagine, I did not always seek good, available guidance in my previous travels either.


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## athenaeus (Jul 24, 2001)

Generalizations of any kind are stupid indeed!

Generalizations are my favourite kind of stupidity I guess  

I was making comments on the symbols mostly , because both Moulin Rouge and Studio 54 are symbols of a special kind of entertainment. If you visit Moulin Rouge that doesn't mean that you know everything about Paris , the same stands for Studio 54

Dreadfull places are everywhere! There are places in Athens that make you wonder on what differ humans from animals.

As for Argentina, Yes people there seem to need this kind of entertainment. And Soshouhar from all countries mentioned above , Argentina is the most human one because it combines style, warmth and respect!


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## olive branch (Oct 2, 2001)

After re-reading all the posts in this thread, I've decided that I could win a silver, at least, in Olympic conclusion-jumping. I see that you were NOT talking in general, but specifically about famous places of entertainment that seem to typify a society. I never went to Studio 54 and never wanted to, so who am I to talk? But I was reading some posts about Typical Thanksgiving Dinners and they make me think how diverse the United States is, and how hard pressed I would be to choose anything representative about this country. At the Moulin Rouge there might have been nobles, courtesans, artists, members of the bourgoisie, but most of them were white French people living where there had mostly been white French people for many years. I think it is not America's fast food culture or orientation to drugs (the absinthe of our age), but its youth that keeps it from having a Moulin Rouge (yet). And maybe we will never be homogenous enough for that to happen. But PLEASE my friends, don't judge us by Studio 54!


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