Friedman Paul Erhardt
Encyclopedia
Friedemann Paul Erhardt was a German American
pioneering early television chef. He was known as "Chef Tell" to his fans. He is widely regarded as one of the first chefs to enjoy widespread popularity on American television. Erhardt's thick German accent reportedly made him the inspiration for the Swedish Chef
, a well known Muppet character on The Muppet Show
, although this is denied by Brian Henson.
, Germany
on November 5, 1943. He was the son of a German newspaper
publisher. Erhardt earned the nickname "Tell", which millions of television viewers would later call him, at an early age, when he played the character William Tell
in a school play.
Erhardt trained in several hotels and restaurants in Europe
before moving to the United States
when he was 28 years old.
in 1974. He was employed as a chef at the Marriott Hotel on City Line Avenue at the time. Now more commonly known as Chef Tell, his work on the show later earned him a regular 90-second cooking spot on a nationally syndicated show, PM Magazine
. He often used the phrase, with his thick accent, "very simple, very easy" while cooking during his PM Magazine spots. His career led to guest appearances on Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous
and earned Chef Tell time on QVC
. He also hosted a show on PBS called In the Kitchen With Chef Tell. Chef Tell was known for using humor in his cooking shows. "He was the first of the great showman chefs," commented Elaine Tait, the former restaurant critic for the Philadelphia Inquirer. "Up until his era, chefs stayed in the kitchen."
Chef Tell's popularity and German-accented personality earned him a place in American popular culture
. He was often parodied in comedy
skits on Saturday Night Live
and became a regular guest on Regis and Kathie Lee.
In addition to his work in television, Chef Tell also worked in a number of other culinary positions. He owned several restaurants in Philadelphia in the 1970s and 1980s. He later opened two restaurants in neighboring Bucks County, Pennsylvania
, the short-lived Harrow Inne in Ottsville and the famous Chef Tell’s Manor House in Upper Black Eddy, Pennsylvania
. He also owned the Grand Old House, on Grand Cayman Island, for some time. He baked an enormous cake for Donald Duck's 50th birthday in 1984, which was part of a grand celebration at Walt Disney World in Florida. The restaurant in Cayman has a photo of the chef and the duck and the cake on the wall.
Former U.S. President Richard Nixon
, who often visited his daughter Julie Eisenhower in Pennsylvania, sometimes dined at another of Chef Tell's restaurants in Wayne
. Nixon personally sponsored Erhardt's citizenship
application in 1986. Nixon appeared as the guest speaker at his oath of citizenship
ceremony.
Chef Tell became a spokesperson for major corporate food and cookware product lines. He also wrote and edited cookbooks, including a cookbook written specifically for people with diabetes. Erhardt was a diabetic himself.
Tell spent the last two and half years of his life teaching culinary skills at The Restaurant School at Walnut Hill College
in Philadelphia.
. He was 63 years old. He was survived by his wife of 19 years, Bunny, his son, Torsten, and a grandson.
German American
German Americans are citizens of the United States of German ancestry and comprise about 51 million people, or 17% of the U.S. population, the country's largest self-reported ancestral group...
pioneering early television chef. He was known as "Chef Tell" to his fans. He is widely regarded as one of the first chefs to enjoy widespread popularity on American television. Erhardt's thick German accent reportedly made him the inspiration for the Swedish Chef
Swedish Chef
The Swedish Chef is a Muppet that appeared on The Muppet Show. He was operated by Jim Henson and Frank Oz simultaneously and is now puppeteered by Bill Barretta.-Character:...
, a well known Muppet character on The Muppet Show
The Muppet Show
The Muppet Show is a British television programme produced by American puppeteer Jim Henson and featuring Muppets. After two pilot episodes were produced in 1974 and 1975, the show premiered on 5 September 1976 and five series were produced until 15 March 1981, lasting 120 episodes...
, although this is denied by Brian Henson.
Early life
Friedemann Paul Erhardt was born in StuttgartStuttgart
Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million ....
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
on November 5, 1943. He was the son of a German newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
publisher. Erhardt earned the nickname "Tell", which millions of television viewers would later call him, at an early age, when he played the character William Tell
William Tell
William Tell is a folk hero of Switzerland. His legend is recorded in a late 15th century Swiss chronicle....
in a school play.
Erhardt trained in several hotels and restaurants in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
before moving to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
when he was 28 years old.
Television
Erhardt made his first television debut on a local Philadelphia television show called Dialing for DollarsDialing for Dollars
Dialing for Dollars was a franchised format local television program in the United States and Canada, popular in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s.-Format:...
in 1974. He was employed as a chef at the Marriott Hotel on City Line Avenue at the time. Now more commonly known as Chef Tell, his work on the show later earned him a regular 90-second cooking spot on a nationally syndicated show, PM Magazine
PM Magazine
PM/Evening Magazine was a television series with a news and entertainment format. It was syndicated to stations throughout the United States...
. He often used the phrase, with his thick accent, "very simple, very easy" while cooking during his PM Magazine spots. His career led to guest appearances on Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous
Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous
Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous is a television series that aired in syndication from 1984 to 1995. The show featured the extravagant lifestyles of wealthy entertainers, athletes and business moguls....
and earned Chef Tell time on QVC
QVC
QVC is a multinational corporation specializing in televised home shopping. Founded in 1986 by Joseph Segel in West Goshen Township, Pennsylvania, United States, QVC broadcasts in five countries as QVC US, QVC UK, QVC Germany, QVC Japan and – QVC Italy to 200 million households...
. He also hosted a show on PBS called In the Kitchen With Chef Tell. Chef Tell was known for using humor in his cooking shows. "He was the first of the great showman chefs," commented Elaine Tait, the former restaurant critic for the Philadelphia Inquirer. "Up until his era, chefs stayed in the kitchen."
Chef Tell's popularity and German-accented personality earned him a place in American popular culture
Popular culture
Popular culture is the totality of ideas, perspectives, attitudes, memes, images and other phenomena that are deemed preferred per an informal consensus within the mainstream of a given culture, especially Western culture of the early to mid 20th century and the emerging global mainstream of the...
. He was often parodied in comedy
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
skits on Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
and became a regular guest on Regis and Kathie Lee.
In addition to his work in television, Chef Tell also worked in a number of other culinary positions. He owned several restaurants in Philadelphia in the 1970s and 1980s. He later opened two restaurants in neighboring Bucks County, Pennsylvania
Bucks County, Pennsylvania
- Industry and commerce :The boroughs of Bristol and Morrisville were prominent industrial centers along the Northeast Corridor during World War II. Suburban development accelerated in Lower Bucks in the 1950s with the opening of Levittown, Pennsylvania, the second such "Levittown" designed by...
, the short-lived Harrow Inne in Ottsville and the famous Chef Tell’s Manor House in Upper Black Eddy, Pennsylvania
Upper Black Eddy, Pennsylvania
The village of Upper Black Eddy aka "UBE" is located in northern Bucks County, Pennsylvania who have second homes here due to the early american 18th and 19th century charm, rural character of the area and short distance from the "City" located only 58 miles to the east.Upper Black Eddy...
. He also owned the Grand Old House, on Grand Cayman Island, for some time. He baked an enormous cake for Donald Duck's 50th birthday in 1984, which was part of a grand celebration at Walt Disney World in Florida. The restaurant in Cayman has a photo of the chef and the duck and the cake on the wall.
Former U.S. President Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
, who often visited his daughter Julie Eisenhower in Pennsylvania, sometimes dined at another of Chef Tell's restaurants in Wayne
Wayne, Pennsylvania
Wayne is an unincorporated community located on the Main Line, centered in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States. While the center of Wayne is in Radnor Township, Wayne extends into both Tredyffrin Township in Chester County and Upper Merion Township in Montgomery County...
. Nixon personally sponsored Erhardt's citizenship
United States nationality law
Article I, section 8, clause 4 of the United States Constitution expressly gives the United States Congress the power to establish a uniform rule of naturalization. The Immigration and Naturalization Act sets forth the legal requirements for the acquisition of, and divestiture from, citizenship of...
application in 1986. Nixon appeared as the guest speaker at his oath of citizenship
Oath of citizenship (United States)
The United States Oath of Allegiance is an oath that must be taken by all immigrants who wish to become United States citizens...
ceremony.
Chef Tell became a spokesperson for major corporate food and cookware product lines. He also wrote and edited cookbooks, including a cookbook written specifically for people with diabetes. Erhardt was a diabetic himself.
Tell spent the last two and half years of his life teaching culinary skills at The Restaurant School at Walnut Hill College
The Restaurant School at Walnut Hill College
The Restaurant School at Walnut Hill College was founded in 1974 as America's first private college to offer career training in fine dining and the luxury hospitality industry. The college offers four majors: Culinary Arts, Restaurant Management, Pastry Arts and Hotel Management...
in Philadelphia.
Death
Chef Tell died on October 26, 2007 of heart failure at his home in Upper Black Eddy, PennsylvaniaUpper Black Eddy, Pennsylvania
The village of Upper Black Eddy aka "UBE" is located in northern Bucks County, Pennsylvania who have second homes here due to the early american 18th and 19th century charm, rural character of the area and short distance from the "City" located only 58 miles to the east.Upper Black Eddy...
. He was 63 years old. He was survived by his wife of 19 years, Bunny, his son, Torsten, and a grandson.
External links
- The Intelligencer: Chef Tell dead at 63
- New York Times: Chef Tell, Who Turned Kitchen Skill Into TV Fame, Dies at 63
- Philadelphia Inquirer: 'Chef Tell' Erhardt, 63, early TV chef
- Philadelphia Daily News: Friedman Paul Erhardt, 'Chef Tell,' dies at 63
- Washington Post: Friedman Paul Erhardt, 63; Television's 'Chef Tell'