Jean-Louis Palladin
Palladin in 1991
Born(1946-05-07)May 7, 1946
Condom, Gers, France
DiedNovember 25, 2001(2001-11-25) (aged 55)
McLean, Virginia, United States
NationalityFrench
OccupationChef
Known forJean-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]

Early life

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]

Jean-Louis at the Watergate

Palladin cooking at the Watergate in 1991

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]

Later career

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]

Death and legacy

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]

Awards

Cookbook

Jean-Louis, Cooking With the Seasons, Thomasson-Grant (1989).[10]

References

  1. ↑ Nathan, Joan (2011). The new American cooking (1st ed.). A.A. Knopf. ISBN 9780307538871. 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
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Kummer, Luke Jerod (October 2015). "The French Chef who Taught Washington How to Eat". Washingtonian Magazine. 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.
  3. ↑ "On the Fridge". Washington Post. May 8, 1996. p. E3. 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.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Asimov, Eric (November 26, 2001). "Jean-Louis Palladin, 55, a French Chef With Verve, Dies". New York Times.
  5. 1 2 3 Oliver, Myrna (November 27, 2001). "Jean-Louis Palladin, 55; Passionate Chef Modernized French Cooking in U.S." Los Angeles Times.
  6. 1 2 3 "Jean-Louis Palladin, Watergate Chef, Dies". Washington Post. November 26, 2001.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 "About Jean-Louis Palladin". James Beard Foundation. Retrieved 18 January 2019.
  8. ↑ Stephen, Beverly (16 October 2018). "The History of Washington D.C.'s Dining Scene". Michelin Guide.
  9. ↑ Stanley, Laura (November 27, 2001). "Chef Jean-Louis Palladin Dies of Lung Cancer". Wine Spectator.
  10. ↑ Palladin, Jean-Louis (October 1, 1989). Jean-Louis, cooking with the seasons. Thomasson-Grant. ISBN 0934738491.
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