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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