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By Meredith Brody in Buzz Machine

Tuesday, Aug. 4 2009 @ 12:09PM

JonBauer/Flickr

Mon dieu.

Word is that Alice Waters has gotten a letter informing her that she's going to be receiving the French Legion of Honor, otherwise known as the Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur. As of this morning, assistant Varun Mehra didn't yet know when his boss would be getting the award or where -- he's been trying to get in touch with the French Consul General in S.F. to learn more.

Established by Napoleon in 1802, the Legion is France's highest honor, appointed by the French President himself. It's technically reserved for French nationals only, but foreigners who (in the infallible words of Wikipedia) have served France or "the ideals it upholds" can receive what's known as a distinction of the Legion. Americans who've received it include Dwight Eisenhower and General Douglas MacArthur -- slightly strange company for a friend of Obama and ex-Montessori-school-teacher whose claim to fame started with opening a restaurant for friends in a ramshackle house in downtown Berkeley.

Tags: restaurant news