Paul Elbling: Aug. 22, 1940-July 22, 2023 (Illustration by Abigail Giuseppe)
Mary Margaret Kastelberg first met Paul Elbling and his wife, Marie-Antoinette, at age 8. Her lawyer father, Bill Smithers, helped the couple file the paperwork for what would become one of Richmond’s most iconic establishments, La Petite France, open from 1971 to 2008. The restaurant and its proprietors helped pave the way for fine dining in the city.
“Their entire legacy is hospitality,” Kastelberg reflects. “How to make people welcome no matter who they are or where they come from, in addition to the artistic qualities and the technical perfection [Paul] exhibited on everything he touched.”
The Elblings moved to Richmond from Washington, D.C., in 1970, immigrating from France just a few years prior. Before rooting himself into the culinary scene locally, Elbling helmed the kitchens at D.C.’s Chez Francois and Hotel Washington. As a young man, he graduated from the prestigious Hotel School of Strasburg in Alsace, France, moving on to the Carlton in Cannes and the George V in Paris.
Mark Herndon, co-owner of Buckhead’s and The Roosevelt, who also worked with Elbling, says, “When you think about the era he grew up in, he started in a kitchen brigade system, with a rigorous apprenticeship. He certainly worked his way up and knew so much more than anybody may know about food.”
With his classic culinary training, Elbling introduced white-linen tablecloths and simple, refined French cuisine to Richmond. When asked, “Why Richmond?” with a Gallic shrug Elbling once replied, “Richmond didn’t have a French restaurant.”
After Elbling corrected that oversight, diners near and far quickly became enticed by his sauteed Dover sole, roasted duck breast and escargot in garlic-butter sauce.
Beyond the kitchen, Elbling held titles including author and teacher. He was also an accomplished fly fisherman and duck hunter, often joined by his boon companion Franz Mayr, who managed The Commonwealth Club, in his outdoor pursuits. The two met through gatherings of the Richmond branch (that Elbling founded) of the Confrérie de la Chaîne des Rôtisseurs, an esteemed French food appreciation society. They spoke the same language.
“Paul, from Alsace, could speak German, and I’m from Austria,” Mayr explains. “In our travels, we spoke in dialect, and nobody could understand us.” He chuckles, adding, “Sometimes to our advantage.”
Their entire legacy is hospitality ... how to make people welcome no matter who they are or where they come from.
—Mary Margaret Kastelberg
They learned fly fishing together and began trips to the Labrador coast in Newfoundland. They stayed in a rough cabin accessible only by helicopter or float plane. Other trips included Chile and Argentina. “Wherever we went, he made friends,” Mayr says. “He could talk to anybody. He never bragged about this restaurant life, and when we went to eat, he didn’t try to find the best place. He was happy with sardines and Spam.”
Elbling accumulated awards and recognition, from the European Culinary Olympics to James Beard Foundation honors, even landing in the Guinness Book of World Records three times (largest omelet, for starters). He and Marie-Antoinette hosted annual benefit dinners at La Petite France for the Little Sisters of the Poor, and they also assisted in founding the Richmond French Food Festival, which debuted in 2009.
In 2012, Richmond magazine named its regional dining awards for Elbling, dubbing them The Elbys.
Herndon, who remembers dining at La Petite France and how Elbling would come out after the dinner service to greet his guests, says, “He’d put on a crisp double-breasted coat, splash some cologne on — and I say that lovingly — he’d come out and make his way around the dining room, always with his toque.”
