Jean-Robert de Cavel
De Cavel, photographed in 2013 by Ryan Kurtz
Born(1961-09-12)September 12, 1961
Roubaix, France
DiedDecember 23, 2022(2022-12-23) (aged 61)
EducationLe Feguide, Lille, France
SpouseAnnette Pfund de Cavel
Culinary career
Cooking styleFrench
Current restaurant(s)
  • Jean-Robert's Table, French Crust Cafe, Le Bar a Boeuf, Eat at John-Bob's, Restaurant L, Frenchie Fresh
Award(s) won
Websitewww.jrcincy.com

Jean-Robert de Cavel (September 12, 1961 – December 23, 2022) was a French-American chef active primarily in Cincinnati.[1] He was chef de cuisine at The Maisonette from 1993 to 2002, executive chef at Jean-Robert at Pigall's from 2002 to 2009, and later operated Jean-Robert's Table, Le Bar a Boeuf, and French Crust Cafe. He and his wife founded the de Cavel Family SIDS Foundation, which runs Eat.Play.Give: Friends and Family SIDS Brunch, a culinary event that is the country's largest SIDS fundraiser.

Early life and education

De Cavel was born in Roubaix, France, on September 12, 1961.[2] He was educated at Le Feguide culinary school in Lille, France.[3][4]

Professional career

De Cavel worked in Zermatt,[3] Antibes, and the British West Indies.[5][6] He moved to New York City to work for Le Régence at the Hotel Plaza Athénée.[7][8] In the 1990s he was considered a rising star, but the opportunities for working as a chef de cuisine in a French restaurant in New York City had become very competitive.[9]

In the early 1990s, Cincinnati's The Maisonette was conducting a nationwide search for a new chef de cuisine, and De Cavel's friend Daniel Boulud encouraged him to apply.[10] At the time de Cavel did not know where Cincinnati was; he described having to pull out a map.[9]

De Cavel moved to Cincinnati in 1993 to become chef de cuisine at The Maisonette, which earned 5 stars from Mobil during his time there.[11][5][6] His plan was to stay for two or three years, develop his reputation, and moved back to New York or Europe.[9] He described the city reminding him of Lille, where he had grown up: a center of industry rather than tourism, and very livable.[9] He "fell in love with the city", and the city with him; he realized that in a metropolitan region of two million, he could become an important influence, opening restaurants rather than simply working in them.[9]

He left Maisonette in 2002 to join a partnership to run his own restaurant, Jean-Robert at Pigall's, which became at the time Ohio's only Mobil four-star restaurant.[12]

With his partners he went on to open JeanRo Bistro, Pho Paris, Greenup Cafe, Twist, and Lavomatic Cafe, all located in the greater Cincinnati area.[3][11][6] In 2009 the partnership fell apart and he was left with no restaurants.[9]

He considered leaving Cincinnati after the partnership ended, but instead stayed and opened Jean-Robert's Table in 2010, French Crust in 2011, Le Bar a Boeuf in 2014, Eat at Jean-Bob's in 2015, Restaurant L, and Frenchie Fresh in 2016.[3][11][13][14] He was called "arguably the most recognizable chef in town"[15] and "one of the region's most well-known chefs".[16] The Cincinnati Business Journal said he had "shaped Cincinnati's modern dining scene".[17]

De Cavel appeared in Rebel//Rebel as a chef and in Three Barbecues: A Blackened Comedy (2004) as himself.[18]

Teaching

From 2009, he was chef-in-residence at the Midwest Culinary Institute.[11]

Recognition and legacy

De Cavel was a four-time semi-finalist for the James Beard Best Chef in the Great Lakes Region in 2008, 2009, 2012, and 2013.[19] He received three James Beard nominations for Best Chef in the Midwest in 2000, 2001, and 2006 and was invited to cook at the foundation's Greenwich Village headquarters six times.[3][20]

During his tenure, The Maisonette received five stars from Mobil. Jean-Robert at Pigall's received four stars from Mobil and was recognized by Relais & Châteaux. In 2007 he was named a Master Chef by Maîtres Cuisiniers de France.[3] In early 2022 he was named a Great Living Cincinnatian and a city street was named for him.[21][22][23]

Cavel is widely credited for leading and influencing the redevelopment of fine dining in the Greater Cincinnati region.[21][24][23] According to Cincinnati food writer Keith Pandolfi, "You can’t go into any kitchen in this city and not find someone who worked for him at some point."[9]

Restaurants

De Cavel was associated with the Michelin-starred restaurants La Bonne Auberge in Antibes, France, The Restaurant at Malliouhana in the British West Indies, and was chef de cuisine at La Régence and La Gauloise in Manhattan.[23] In Cincinnati, he was associated with 5-star Mobil restaurant The Maisonette[3] and 4-star Mobil restaurant Jean-Robert at Pigall's as well as multiple others.[25][4][11][13][26][27]

Philanthropy

In 2003 de Cavel and his wife Annette founded the de Cavel Family SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome) Foundation following the death of their first child, Tatiana.[3] Since then it has grown annually to become the largest SIDS fundraiser in the country.[28][11]

Personal life

De Cavel lived with his wife Annette Pfund de Cavel in Newport, Kentucky with their daughter Laeticia.[3][28][11]

De Cavel was diagnosed with an aggressive form of leiomyosarcoma in May 2018.[29] He died on December 23, 2022, at age 61.[30] A public memorial service was held January 16, 2023, at Cathedral Basilica of St. Peter in Chains.[21][22] Over 1300 people, including hundreds in chef's whites, many of them former proteges of de Cavel, attended.[9]

References

  1. ↑ Gelfand, Janelle (February 17, 2016). "Went to the symphony and a wedding broke out". Cincinnati Enquirer. Retrieved February 22, 2016.
  2. ↑ Campbell, Polly (September 12, 2019). "Happy Birthday, Jean-Robert! Seven things to thank him for". Cincinnati Enquirer. Retrieved September 13, 2019.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Brandt, Alyssa (November 2013). "The Man Who Came to Dinner". Cincinnati Magazine. Retrieved July 27, 2015.
  4. 1 2 Martin, Chuck. "Chef finds delicious success". The Cincinnati Enquirer. Retrieved June 2, 2015.
  5. 1 2 "Chef Jean-Robert de Cavel brings French cuisine to the Dish". CBS This Morning. July 18, 2015. Retrieved July 27, 2015.
  6. 1 2 3 "Master Chef Of France Jean-Robert De Cavel". Maîtres Cuisiniers de France. Retrieved December 24, 2022.
  7. ↑ "Breaking the Mold". Food Management. January 10, 2008. Retrieved December 24, 2022.
  8. ↑ Gavin, Robert (March 20, 2005). "We're the Hub of the Universe, but Cincinnati is eating our lunch". The Boston Globe. Retrieved December 24, 2022.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "A French Chef And Cincinnati: A Love Story". The Sporkful. Retrieved February 11, 2023.
  10. ↑ Neog, Anupal Sraban (December 25, 2022). "What happened to Jean-Robert de Cavel? Tributes pour in as iconic Cincinnati chef passes away". www.sportskeeda.com. Retrieved December 29, 2022.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Jean-Robert de Cavel". Archived from the original on June 14, 2018. Retrieved June 2, 2015.
  12. ↑ Cohen, Alex. "Ohio's Only Four-Star Restaurant To Close". NPR.org. NPR. Retrieved June 2, 2015.
  13. 1 2 Campbell, Polly (September 18, 2015). "Jean-Robert opens burger stand in Paul Brown". Cincinnati Enquirer. Retrieved October 17, 2015.
  14. ↑ Begley, Emily; Mitchell, Pama. "J-Ro's Big Year". City Beat. Retrieved June 13, 2018.
  15. ↑ "Best of Cincinnati". Retrieved September 11, 2015.
  16. ↑ Folk, Jesse (October 16, 2015). "Renowned local chef aims to help save infants". WCPO-TV. Retrieved October 17, 2015.
  17. ↑ "Jean-Robert de Cavel, Cincinnati's most renowned chef, dies after battle with cancer". The Business Journals. Retrieved December 24, 2022.
  18. ↑ "Jean Robert De-Cavel". IMDb. Retrieved December 29, 2022.
  19. ↑ "Awards Search | James Beard Foundation". James Beard Foundation. Retrieved June 13, 2018.
  20. ↑ Drilling, Joanne (June 26, 2014). "House Party". Cincinnati Magazine. Retrieved June 13, 2018.
  21. 1 2 3 Planalp, Brian; Winn, Chancelor (December 28, 2022). "Public memorial Mass planned for Jean-Robert de Cavel". fox19.com. Retrieved December 29, 2022.
  22. 1 2 "Jean-Robert de Cavel". www.dmefuneral.com. Retrieved December 29, 2022.
  23. 1 2 3 "Cincinnati chef Jean-Robert de Cavel dies at 61". The Enquirer. Retrieved December 29, 2022.
  24. ↑ "Public memorial Mass to be held for renowned chef Jean-Robert de Cavel". The Enquirer. Retrieved December 29, 2022.
  25. ↑ Larson, Sarah (October 29, 2014). "Jean-Robert de Cavel bringing new restaurant to Cincinnati". Escoffier. Retrieved June 2, 2015.
  26. ↑ "Restaurant L". Restaurant L.
  27. ↑ Campbell, Polly. "Jean-Robert de Cavel's fast-casual coming to Deerfield Towne Center". cincinnati.com. Cincinnati Enquirer. Retrieved June 13, 2018.
  28. 1 2 Cohen, Jessica. "De Cavels' brunch offers first-class food for a cause". The Cincinnati Enquirer. Retrieved June 3, 2015.
  29. ↑ "Renowned Cincinnati chef Jean-Robert de Cavel dealing with cancer diagnosis". WLWT. December 12, 2018. Retrieved December 12, 2018.
  30. ↑ Planalp, Brian (December 23, 2022). "Jean-Robert de Cavel, Cincinnati's most famous chef, passes away". Fox19. Retrieved December 23, 2022.
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