Jean-Robert de Cavel
The Ohio Valley’s pre-eminent chef talks about why he came to Cincinnati, why he stayed, and what he loves to cook at home.
interview by Bryn Mooth / portrait by Michael Wilson
Do you come from a food family? I’m from a family of five kids and we lived in small towns in northern France. My mom became a good cook; she had to budget, but she always cooked from scratch. We were off school on Thursdays, so to entertain us she asked us to help her bake for the weekend. We went to the beach, even in winter, and harvested shrimp and had it for dinner; every summer my cousin and I would go to farms and get produce. My uncle was from Provence and he grew grapes and olives and made honey, and I would go help him. We were very connected to food.
So how did you land in the restaurant business? I always wanted to be a cook. On the day of my 16th birthday I started an apprenticeship in a train station where there was a cafeteria and a fine dining restaurant where we did a lot of banquets. It was run by an older chef, and he taught me how to break down a half a cow, how to make charcuterie. We worked with the freshest ingredients.
You were a rising-star chef in New York; why did you leave to come to Cincinnati? At age 27 I was the resident chef at the Plaza Athénée, working for the Rostang family, who were based in France. I cooked for some very famous people. It was a good job as a young chef. The reason I took the [Maisonette] job was because I felt like it was a good challenge. I knew it had a national, if not international, reputation. I felt like working for the Comisars would be like working in restaurants I worked in in France.
And you stayed … It was never planned. Weeks after weeks, months after months, the time just went by. I wanted to be part of the community. Cincinnati reminds me a lot of the north of France. I feel comfortable here and have connections with people here. I could go somewhere else, but for what?
How do you view yourself as a teacher and mentor to the many talented cooks who’ve worked in your kitchen? As a chef you are the coach of a sports team: You have to discover their talent. You want them to win, you want them to go on to the NBA.
What do you most enjoy cooking and eating at home? I very rarely grocery shop; I love to go to Findlay Market, and having a restaurant makes it easy because I can grab whatever out of the refrigerator. I cook everything from scratch at home. Monday is my day off; my daughter and I spend time together. It’s not fancy, just good food with good products.