Born in Paris in 1949, I was cleaning pig's feet at my Grandfather's charcuterie before I started grammar school. The memory of falling asleep on my mothers’ knees, my head under the tablecloth during my family’s frequent “marathon” meals, is still vivid. A meal could start at one o'clock in the afternoon and not end before midnight! Being immersed in the pleasures of food from such a young age, naturally I became a chef.

 I started my apprenticeship at the age of 15 at Fontainebleau’s centuries-old Hotel de l’Aigle Noir. Cardinals and Dukes resided at the Aigle Noir while the King occupied the Fontainebleau Castle across the plaza. In the seventeenth century it was transformed into a gorgeous hotel with an excellent “table” enjoyed by gourmets from around the county. Today, it is one of the most respected hotel-restaurants in France.

Three years later I received my chef's certification and with great confidence made my way back to Paris. I invested in a tailor-made suit (worth ten months of my salary as an apprentice) and was ready to conquer the great kitchens of Paris!

  I worked with Guy Girard, the well known chef/owner of Le Verre Galant in St Germain des Prés. Rising at 3:30 in the morning to go to the greatest food market on Earth, Les Halles de Paris, I helped with the restaurant's daily shopping (my first lesson: don’t wear a tailor-made suit and fancy shoes for this kind of work: nighttime Paris in April is typically quite cold and wet). Guy Girard taught me the secrets of cooking with truffles and foie gras. Le Verre Galant was the favorite location of the show business crowd. Stars would frequently stay until early morning hours eating and sampling the exquisite delicacies.

The next step in my career as a chef was at the Plaza Athénée, known as one of the most prestigious hotels in Paris. Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton had a suite at the hotel and often redecorated the room by throwing dishes at each other. It was there that I learned what it truly meant to cook in a top Parisian kitchen. My time at Plaza Athénée made me a true chef.

I left France in 1971 and came to the United States where I discovered two beauties: Marie-France, now my wife of 31 years, and San Francisco, the food Mecca of North America. 

I worked in a variety of restaurants in Northern California, including the St Francis Hotel, L'Étoile, Fleur de Lys and St Pierre. I then opened my own restaurant, Les Arcades, in the heart of California wine country, combining my classical French training with the new world of West Coast cuisine. Finally, I decided to complete my career and dedicate more of myself to teaching so I joined the faculty of the prestigious California Culinary Academy.

Now I’m back in France, eager to once again share my French gastronomic roots with passionate lovers of food and Provence.   

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