chef-name: Christian Delouvrier

Born in the South of France (Boulogne-Sur-Gesse, in Gascony), Christian Delouvrier discovered his passion for food and cooking at a young age. Young Christian’s first culinary influences were his mother and two grandmothers, all of whom were excellent home cooks, who passed on family recipes and instilled a deep respect for local ingredients, that still inspire his cooking today. At age 15, he enrolled in classes at the Hotel School of Toulouse while gaining practical experience through apprenticeships in local restaurants.

With degree in hand, he began traveling & working in some of the world’s best kitchens from Montreal to the Bahamas to New York City. He moved to Paris in 1978 to work with Great Chef Alain Senderens’ L’Archestrate. In 1981 he returned to New York City to open Maurice’s Restaurant in the Parker Meridien Hotel with Chef Alain.

After Alain returned to Paris, Executive Chef Christian remained there for 8 years before moving to the Essex House to open Les Celebrites. Great Chefs Television caught up with him in 1993 for their Great Chefs of the East series to prepare a Fresh Burger of Duck Foie Gras with Apples.

Later, as Chef Delouvrier moved from Lespinasse and back again to the Essex with Great Chef Alain Ducasse, Great Chefs taped a Crispy Skin Salmon Steak entree for their Great Chefs – Great Cities series and a Squab with Cabbage & Truffled Mashed Potatoes for a Great Chefs French Fest one-hour special.

In 2009 he consulted with La Mangeoire and has remained on as the Executive Chef since then. His dishes, inspired by “French Country Cooking” celebrate all the different regions of the French Countryside and have put French cuisine on the map.