Save Me the Plums

The Gourmet team took an editorial trip to Paris for a special edition of the magazine, which became the best-selling issue of all time. During the trip, Reichl and the other editors patronized Michelin-starred restaurants, exclusive hotels, and world-class food markets. While out shopping one day, Reichl found a stunning vintage cocktail dress from Yves Saint Laurent’s time at Dior, embroidered with the name Severine. The dress made her feel like the woman she wanted to be, and she considered buying it until she learned it cost $6500. Reichl left without purchasing the dress, though she took the saleswoman’s card.

That night, she visited a restaurant she was too scared to patronize when she first came to Paris at age 17. She met an older man who told her that she reminded him of his late wife, an elegant, powerful woman named Severine. Reichl tore up the saleswoman’s business card, feeling that the dress had already given her the inspiration that she needed.

Reichl was in Gourmet’s offices in Times Square on September 11, 2001, when terrorists attacked the Twin Towers in New York City. Reichl sprang into action, urging her staff to contact their families to establish meeting places before the lines were jammed.