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 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]
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]
