Alain Ducasse
Encyclopedia
Alain Ducasse (born 13 September 1956) is a Monégasque
chef
. He formerly held French nationality. He operates a number of restaurants including Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester which holds three stars (the top ranking) in the Michelin Guide
.
in southwestern France. In 1972, when he was sixteen, Ducasse began an apprenticeship
at the Pavillon Landais restaurant in Soustons and at the Bordeaux
hotel school. After this apprenticeship, he began work at Michel Guérard
’s restaurant in Eugénie-les-Bains while also working for Gaston Lenôtre
during the summer months. In 1977, Ducasse started working as an assistant at Moulin de Mougins
under legendary chef Roger Vergé, creator of Cuisine du Soleil, and learned the Provençal cooking methods for which he was later known.
Ducasse's first position as chef came in 1980 when he took over the kitchens at L’amandier in Mougins
. One year later, he assumed the position of head chef at La Terrasse in the Hôtel Juana in Juan-les-Pins
. In 1984, he was awarded two stars in the Michelin Red Guide
. In that same year, Ducasse was the only survivor of a Learjet crash that nearly took his life.
in Monte Carlo
, with management including the hotel's Le Louis XV. After assuring himself that the Hotel's other restaurant operations were operating well, Ducasse continued to run management.
In 1988, Ducasse expanded beyond the restaurant industry and opened La Bastide de Moustiers, a twelve-bedroom country inn in Provence
and he began attaining financial interests in other Provence hotels. On 12 August 1996, the Alain Ducasse restaurant opened in Le Parc – Sofitel Demeure Hôtels in the 16th arrondissement of Paris. The Red Guide awarded the restaurant three stars just eight months after opening.
Ducasse came to the United States and in June 2000 opened the Alain Ducasse restaurant in New York City's Essex House
hotel at 160 Central Park South, receiving the Red Guide's three stars in December 2005, in the first Red Guide for NYC. That restaurant closed in 2007 when Ducasse chose to open a restaurant in Las Vegas named Mix, which later went on to earn one star in the Michelin
Red Guide. In early 2008, Ducasse opened Adour, at the St. Regis Hotel on 16th and K Street in Washington, DC, and has also opened a more casual Bistro Benoit New York, at 60 West 55th Street.
in three cities. The New York restaurant was dropped from the 2007 Michelin Guide because the restaurant was scheduled to close. Ducasse has become known through his writing and influences.
Ducasse is also the only chef to hold 19 Michelin stars throughout his career (Masterchef 2010)
by birth. However, on 17 June 2008, he became a naturalized citizen of Monaco
. Since Monegasque nationality law
does not allow dual citizenship
, he immediately lost his French citizenship as a result. He chose Monegasque citizenship in order to take advantage of the principality's very low tax rates.
to develop astronaut
meals to be taken into space. Ducasse has also authored numerous books, with the most famous being Alain Ducasse Culinary Encyclopedia.
In 2005, Ducasse opened his first Asian restaurant in Tokyo, Japan. Ducasse's restaurants include:
In 2004 Alain Ducasse opened a restaurant in a resort near Biarritz
, in the French Basque Country. However, after several bombing attacks by Irrintzi
, an armed Basque nationalist organization, which accused him of being a speculator and of "folkloring" the Basque Country, Ducasse decided to leave the Basque Country.
Monaco
Monaco , officially the Principality of Monaco , is a sovereign city state on the French Riviera. It is bordered on three sides by its neighbour, France, and its centre is about from Italy. Its area is with a population of 35,986 as of 2011 and is the most densely populated country in the...
chef
Chef
A chef is a person who cooks professionally for other people. Although over time the term has come to describe any person who cooks for a living, traditionally it refers to a highly skilled professional who is proficient in all aspects of food preparation.-Etymology:The word "chef" is borrowed ...
. He formerly held French nationality. He operates a number of restaurants including Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester which holds three stars (the top ranking) in the Michelin Guide
Michelin Guide
The Michelin Guide is a series of annual guide books published by Michelin for over a dozen countries. The term normally refers to the Michelin Red Guide, the oldest and best-known European hotel and restaurant guide, which awards the Michelin stars...
.
Early life and career
Ducasse was born in Orthez, but educated on a farm in Castel-SarrazinCastel-Sarrazin
Castel-Sarrazin is a commune in the Landes department in Aquitaine in south-western France.Castel-Sarrazin is the hometown of the top ranking Michelin starred chef Alain Ducasse....
in southwestern France. In 1972, when he was sixteen, Ducasse began an apprenticeship
Apprenticeship
Apprenticeship is a system of training a new generation of practitioners of a skill. Apprentices or protégés build their careers from apprenticeships...
at the Pavillon Landais restaurant in Soustons and at the Bordeaux
Bordeaux
Bordeaux is a port city on the Garonne River in the Gironde department in southwestern France.The Bordeaux-Arcachon-Libourne metropolitan area, has a population of 1,010,000 and constitutes the sixth-largest urban area in France. It is the capital of the Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture...
hotel school. After this apprenticeship, he began work at Michel Guérard
Michel Guérard
Michel Guérard is a French chef, author, one of the founders of nouvelle cuisine, and the inventor of cuisine minceur.- Biography :...
’s restaurant in Eugénie-les-Bains while also working for Gaston Lenôtre
Gaston Lenôtre
Gaston Lenôtre was a French pastry chef and caterer.-Biography:Lenôtre was born in Normandy, France. His mother, Éléonore, was one of the first women chefs in Paris during the 1900s, and was the chef of the Rothschild family...
during the summer months. In 1977, Ducasse started working as an assistant at Moulin de Mougins
Moulin de Mougins
The Moulin de Mougins is a celebrated restaurant in France, situated in a 16th century mill in the inland French Riviera town of Mougins. Founding chef Roger Vergé made the restaurant's name renowned with his novel and light Cuisine de Soleil...
under legendary chef Roger Vergé, creator of Cuisine du Soleil, and learned the Provençal cooking methods for which he was later known.
Ducasse's first position as chef came in 1980 when he took over the kitchens at L’amandier in Mougins
Mougins
Mougins is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France.It is located on the heights of Cannes, in the district of Grasse. Mougins is a 15-minute drive from Cannes. The village is surrounded by forests, such as the Valmasque forest...
. One year later, he assumed the position of head chef at La Terrasse in the Hôtel Juana in Juan-les-Pins
Juan-les-Pins
Juan-les-PinsCountry:Region:Department: Alpes-MaritimesArrondissement: GrasseCanton: Vallauris-Antibes-OuestMunicipality: AntibesPopulation:?Coordinates:Time zone:CET, UTC+1Elevation:10 amslPostal code:06600...
. In 1984, he was awarded two stars in the Michelin Red Guide
Michelin Guide
The Michelin Guide is a series of annual guide books published by Michelin for over a dozen countries. The term normally refers to the Michelin Red Guide, the oldest and best-known European hotel and restaurant guide, which awards the Michelin stars...
. In that same year, Ducasse was the only survivor of a Learjet crash that nearly took his life.
Career as chef
In 1986, Ducasse was offered the Chef position at the Hotel de ParisHotel de Paris
The Hôtel de Paris is a hotel in Monte Carlo, Monaco, It was opened in 1863 as part of the development of Monte Carlo by the Société des Bains de Mer under the auspices of Charles III of Monaco.It is a luxury hotel at the heart of Monte Carlo...
in Monte Carlo
Monte Carlo
Monte Carlo is an administrative area of the Principality of Monaco....
, with management including the hotel's Le Louis XV. After assuring himself that the Hotel's other restaurant operations were operating well, Ducasse continued to run management.
In 1988, Ducasse expanded beyond the restaurant industry and opened La Bastide de Moustiers, a twelve-bedroom country inn in Provence
Provence
Provence ; Provençal: Provença in classical norm or Prouvènço in Mistralian norm) is a region of south eastern France on the Mediterranean adjacent to Italy. It is part of the administrative région of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur...
and he began attaining financial interests in other Provence hotels. On 12 August 1996, the Alain Ducasse restaurant opened in Le Parc – Sofitel Demeure Hôtels in the 16th arrondissement of Paris. The Red Guide awarded the restaurant three stars just eight months after opening.
Ducasse came to the United States and in June 2000 opened the Alain Ducasse restaurant in New York City's Essex House
Jumeirah Essex House
The Jumeirah Essex House, commonly known as the Essex House, is a luxury hotel located on 160 Central Park South in Manhattan. Built in 1931 as the Park Tower Hotel, it is situated across the street from the southern border of Central Park and is convenient to both the stylish shops on Fifth Avenue...
hotel at 160 Central Park South, receiving the Red Guide's three stars in December 2005, in the first Red Guide for NYC. That restaurant closed in 2007 when Ducasse chose to open a restaurant in Las Vegas named Mix, which later went on to earn one star in the Michelin
Michelin
Michelin is a tyre manufacturer based in Clermont-Ferrand in the Auvergne région of France. It is one of the two largest tyre manufacturers in the world along with Bridgestone. In addition to the Michelin brand, it also owns the BFGoodrich, Kleber, Riken, Kormoran and Uniroyal tyre brands...
Red Guide. In early 2008, Ducasse opened Adour, at the St. Regis Hotel on 16th and K Street in Washington, DC, and has also opened a more casual Bistro Benoit New York, at 60 West 55th Street.
Recognition
Ducasse became the first chef to own restaurants carrying three Michelin StarsMichelin Guide
The Michelin Guide is a series of annual guide books published by Michelin for over a dozen countries. The term normally refers to the Michelin Red Guide, the oldest and best-known European hotel and restaurant guide, which awards the Michelin stars...
in three cities. The New York restaurant was dropped from the 2007 Michelin Guide because the restaurant was scheduled to close. Ducasse has become known through his writing and influences.
Ducasse is also the only chef to hold 19 Michelin stars throughout his career (Masterchef 2010)
Nationality
Ducasse was a French citizenFrench nationality law
French nationality law is historically based on the principles of jus soli , according to Ernest Renan's definition, in opposition to the German's definition of nationality, Jus sanguinis , formalized by Fichte.The 1993 Méhaignerie Law required children born in France of foreign parents to request...
by birth. However, on 17 June 2008, he became a naturalized citizen of Monaco
Monaco
Monaco , officially the Principality of Monaco , is a sovereign city state on the French Riviera. It is bordered on three sides by its neighbour, France, and its centre is about from Italy. Its area is with a population of 35,986 as of 2011 and is the most densely populated country in the...
. Since Monegasque nationality law
Nationality law of Monaco
Monégasque Citizenship is based primarily on the principle of jus sanguinis.-By descent:Children who at the time of birth had either mother or father as Monégasque citizens are eligible for Monégasque citizenship.In addition, children born to a mother of whom one of the ancestors in the same line...
does not allow dual citizenship
Multiple citizenship
Multiple citizenship is a status in which a person is concurrently regarded as a citizen under the laws of more than one state. Multiple citizenships exist because different countries use different, and not necessarily mutually exclusive, citizenship requirements...
, he immediately lost his French citizenship as a result. He chose Monegasque citizenship in order to take advantage of the principality's very low tax rates.
Restaurants and operations
Alain Ducasse's restaurants, cooking schools, cookbooks, and consulting activities had revenues of $15.9 million in 2002. Since that time, Ducasse has been expanding his reach. Alain Ducasse has also opened a cooking school for the general public in Paris and another for chefs (ADF), which also works for the European Space AgencyEuropean Space Agency
The European Space Agency , established in 1975, is an intergovernmental organisation dedicated to the exploration of space, currently with 18 member states...
to develop astronaut
Astronaut
An astronaut or cosmonaut is a person trained by a human spaceflight program to command, pilot, or serve as a crew member of a spacecraft....
meals to be taken into space. Ducasse has also authored numerous books, with the most famous being Alain Ducasse Culinary Encyclopedia.
In 2005, Ducasse opened his first Asian restaurant in Tokyo, Japan. Ducasse's restaurants include:
- 59 Poincaré (Paris, France)
- Adour (New York, USA)
- Adour (St. Regis, Washington D.C., USA)
- Alain Ducasse at the Dorchester (London)
- Aux Lyonnais (Paris, France)
- Bar & Boeuf (Monaco)
- Be (BoulangEpicerie)
- Beige (Tokyo, Japan)
- Benoit (Paris, France) - bistro
- Benoit (Tokyo, Japan) - bistro
- Benoit (New York, USA) - bistro
- Esprit - bistro
- La Cour Jardin (Paris, France)
- Mix (Las Vegas, USA)
- La Terrasse du Parc
- Le Rech
- Le Louis XV (Monaco)
- Le Relais du Parc (Paris, France)
- Le Relais Palza (Paris, France)
- La Bastide de Moustier (Moustier Ste Marie, France)
- Tamaris (Beirut, Lebanon)
- Spoon (Paris, Saint-Tropez, Beirut, Carthago, Gstaadt, Mauritius, Hong-Kong)
- Trattoria Toscana (Castiglione della Pescaia, Italy)
- Alain Ducasse opens new Caribbean project in 2010
In 2004 Alain Ducasse opened a restaurant in a resort near Biarritz
Biarritz
Biarritz is a city which lies on the Bay of Biscay, on the Atlantic coast, in south-western France. It is a luxurious seaside town and is popular with tourists and surfers....
, in the French Basque Country. However, after several bombing attacks by Irrintzi
Irrintzi
Irrintzi is an armed Basque nationalist group or cell that acts in the French Basque Country . The word irrintzi refers originally to the traditional Basque folk high pitched scream used to express celebration or happiness....
, an armed Basque nationalist organization, which accused him of being a speculator and of "folkloring" the Basque Country, Ducasse decided to leave the Basque Country.