It's been nearly 20 years since mentor and apprentice worked together.

Back then, Fredericksburg native Todd Gray bussed tables and cast a watchful eye while chef-owner Christian Renault whipped up French favorites at La Petite Auberge restaurant downtown.

Next week, the pair will reunite to prepare a French-American menu, this time at Gray's Equinox restaurant on Washington's Connecticut Avenue.

"I'm excited for him to meet my staff and for my staff to see him at work," said Gray in a recent telephone interview from Washington. "We've never done a dinner together."

The event is one of a series that Gray hosts with a guest chef to celebrate the change of seasons.

Gray has earned his own kudos since the restaurant opened three years ago just a few blocks from the White House. He's achieved top chef nominations from the James Beard Foundation and the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington. His restaurant ranks among Washington's finest, according to The Washington Post, Washingtonian Magazine, Bon Appetit and Gourmet magazines.

Gray credits much of his success to Renault, who inspired him.

"Christian gave me a sense of what commitment is all about," Gray said. "His work ethic is like no other. His restaurant has been open 23 years. That speaks a lot for his tenacity for being a successful owner."

Renault looks forward to teaming in the kitchen with his colleague and friend. The two have collaborated on a menu that teams signature Virginia fare--Chesapeake oysters and Smithfield ham--with Provençal ravioli and venison prepared much like Renault's mother made in Nice.

"It's a fun thing to do," Renault said about the co-op cuisine.

The Fredericksburg restaurateur has given Gray an ultimate compliment. His son, Raymond, now interns under Gray's tutelage during summer breaks from Johnson & Wales University culinary school in Norfolk.

Gray said he's honored to pass on the lessons he received from his mentor.

"It's exciting," Gray said. "I feel I am able to give Raymond some of what he gave me. I love having him."

Copyright 2001 The Free Lance-Star Publishing Company.