Jean-Louis Palladin | |
---|---|
Born | |
Died | November 25, 2001 | (aged 55)
Nationality | French |
Occupation | Chef |
Known for | Jean-Louis at the Watergate |
Jean-Louis Palladin (May 7, 1946 – November 25, 2001) [1] was a French-born chef who introduced French Nouvelle cuisine to the Washington elite at his restaurant, Jean-Louis at the Watergate, and influenced a generation of French and American chefs. [2]
Jean-Louis Palladin was born on May 7, 1946, [3] in the small town of Condom, Gers in southwestern France. [4]
Palladin attended culinary school in Toulouse and then worked in the kitchen of an Italian restaurant in Condom. [5] The owner of the restaurant recognized Palladin's talent, and together they created a new restaurant, La Table des Cordeliers, where Palladin, at 28 years of age, would become the youngest chef in France to earn two Michelin stars. [4]
In 1979, Palladin was recruited to the United States to open a restaurant at the Watergate hotel. [2] Jean-Louis at the Watergate soon became the "in" place for Washington's politicians and socialites. [5] Its reputation blossomed during the Ronald Reagan administration, when many of President Reagan's associates from California moved into apartments at the Watergate and made Jean-Louis their regular meeting place. [2] President Reagan celebrated his 70th birthday at Jean-Louis at an intimate party that included actor Jimmy Stewart. [2]
Palladin sought to incorporate American ingredients on his menu: "The challenge of cooking in America," he said in 1987, "is to discover the newest and best products from the different states -- baby eels and lamprey from Maine, fresh snails from Oregon, blowfish from the Carolinas and California oysters -- and then to learn how to integrate them into your cuisine." [4] Jean-Louis became a destination for other prominent French and American chefs, such as Julia Child, Thomas Keller, and Daniel Boulud. [2] Éric Ripert worked under Palladin at the Watergate for a few years. [4]
For his cooking at the Watergate, Palladin won two James Beard Awards, including Outstanding Chef of 1993. [2] The restaurant never made a significant profit, however, due to its small size and expensive ingredients - Jean-Louis closed on June 15, 1996. [6]
In 1993, Palladin opened a second restaurant in Washington, Pesce in Dupont Circle. [2] In 1997, he opened a restaurant in Las Vegas, Napa at the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino. [5] In 1999, he allowed his name to be used at Palladin, a restaurant in the Time Hotel in New York City. [4]
Palladin died of lung cancer on November 25, 2001, at his home in McLean, Virginia. [6] He was survived by two children, Olivier and Verveine Palladin. [6]
Palladin's colleagues and friends created a foundation in his name in 2002, which was subsumed under the James Beard Foundation in 2009. [7] The Foundation administers the Jean-Louis Palladin Professional Work/Study Initiative in Palladin's honor. [7]
Jean-Louis, Cooking With the Seasons, Thomasson-Grant (1989). [10]
In memory of chef Jean-Louis Palladin, who, through his unbounded enthusiasm for American foods and flavors, inspired us to look at our own cooking in a new light. Born in southwest France, May 7, 1946. Died in Washington, D.C., November 25, 2001
The man whose table once drew Reagan-administration insiders and 1980s moneymen—and whose kitchen trained a murderers' row of today's star chefs—lacks even a Wikipedia page.
Last night a couple of hundred chefs, reporters, foodies and friends were scheduled to gather for a surprise 50th birthday party for (and fond farewell to) His Frenchness, Jean-Louis Palladin, who this week announced he was ending his 17-year reign as chef at the Watergate Hotel.