Jean-Robert de Cavel

Jean-Robert de Cavel was born in Roubaix, France. After serving his culinary apprenticeship in Lille, France, he worked under Master Chef Jo Rostang in the French Riviera and the British West Indies and then, at the age of 26, was named Executive Chef at La Regence restaurant at the Hotel Plaza Athenee in New York City. In 1993, Jean-Robert moved to Cincinnati to serve as Chef de Cuisine at the Maisonette, at the time, the longest-running Mobil five-star restaurant in the United States. Under his tenure, the Maisonette earned eight additional five-star Mobile ratings. Jean-Robert left the Maisonette in 2001 - four years before it closed - to open his own restaurant, Jean-Robert at Pigall's, which was subsequently named by Conde Nast Traveler as one of the top 75 new restaurants in the world. It was associated with Relais & Chateaux, one of only 13 such restaurants in the U.S. and the only Relais Gourmand restaurant in the Tri-State. Jean-Robert at Pigall's was also named a Mobil four-star restaurant, again, the only one in Greater Cincinnati. Jean-Robert has been featured in Wine Spectator, Bon Appetit, Food Arts, Gourmet, Esquire, and Conde Nast Traveler magazines. In 2007, Jean-Robert earned the title of Maitre Cuisinier de France, French Master Chef. His most recently opened restaurant, Jean-Robert's Table, won best new restaurant of 2011. In recent years, Jean-Robert has donated his time and his talents on behalf of such organizations as the March of Dimes, Hospice of Cincinnati, the James Beard Foundation, the Cincinnati Zoo, and Taste of the NFL. In March 2003, Jean-Robert and his wife Annette founded Seven Days for SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome), after the loss of their baby daughter, Tatiana. Jean-Robert's humanitarian work was cited, along with his culinary achievements, when in 2002 he was awarded the Chevalier de l'Ordre du Merite (one of France's highest civilian honors) by the consul general of France. He lives in Newport, Kentucky with his wife and their daughter Laeticia. Please visit: www.jrtable.com