Bruce LeFavour (Retired)

Bruce LeFavour was born in 1935 in Amsterdam, New York and never set out to be a chef. With one semester remaining to earn his degree at Dartmouth College, he left to join the Army, expecting fully to return after his tour of duty.  The Army assigned him to France, where he learned about fine food and he never looked back. He back-packed through Europe and moved to France where he settled for three years.

In 1961 he flew to Aspen, Colorado for a friend’s wedding with intentions of returning to France. Instead he fell in love with the mountains, decided to write a novel, got married, and he and his wife had a daughter, Cree.  The novel didn’t sell, so in 1965 he opened the Paragon, which thrived with Chef LeFavour cooking his version of what would become known as Nouvelle Cuisine.  In 1975, the chef-novelist became bored and moved to Robinson Bar Ranch north of Sun Valley, Idaho, to make a guest ranch and restaurant.

In 1981, he moved to Napa Valley and with Carolyn Rose, opened Rose et LeFavour in St. Helena, California, fulfilling his dream to cook where the best raw ingredients abound. The critics called Chef LeFavour a thinking man’s chef, describing him as a sensual and intellectual cook. In 1982, the Great Chefs television crew showed up at Rose et LeFavour to tape him for their PBS series, Great Chefs of San Francisco.

The partnership dissolved in early 1986, and Chef LeFavour was becoming more interested in Asian cuisine, so he changed the name of the restaurant to Rose et LeFavour Café Oriental, which he described as light French with an Oriental twist.  In 1987, he sold the lease and retired.