In 1978, I was in Lyon, France, waiting for my work papers to enter England. I had made a few contacts while still in America in the hopes of getting a position at a restaurant in France. Pierre Orsi was one of those contacts that I had made through a restauranteur, Andreé Lyon de Lyon. He had a place in Encino named Mon Genier, My Attic. The owner, André Lyon de Lyon, had been very kind in trying to place me in a restaurant in France. He had introduced me to Paul Bocuse and Roger Vergé and other French chefs. Pierre Orsi was one of those contacts. André knew Pierre because Pierre was once the Food and Beverage manager at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel.
Chef Pierre did not have a position in his kitchen open at the time. I went by the restaurant in Lyon to make a courtesy call. I dinned there and ended up spending a few days observing in the kitchen. The restaurant had one Michelin star at the time. I did learn one interesting method for cooking fish. Chef Pierre did a simple sole that was cooked in white wine, fish stock and shallots. He used the microwave to "steam" the fish. I used that method to great effect when I had my place in Santa Barbara.