Gilles Epié

Gilles Epié is a leading French chef, also known as the original Rock Star Chef. He was the youngest chef to receive the Michelin Star when he was 22 years old.[1][2] He was the owner and Executive Chef of Citrus Etoile restaurant in Paris near the Champs-Elysées with his wife, Elizabeth Epié [3][4] from 2005–2017. Currently, he is the Culinary Director of Montage Beverly Hills and the restaurant was named Gilles @ Montage Beverly Hills in 2019.[5][6][7][8]

Gilles Epié
Born
Nantes, France
Culinary career
Websitewww.gillesepie.com

Career

Born in Nantes, Gilles Epié started working at the age of 14 and trained with Alain Senderens and Alain Ducasse at Lucas-Carton in Paris.[9] After he traveled the world and studied global cuisine he returned to Paris. He received his first Michelin Star in 1980 at Le Pavillon des Princes, the youngest chef to receive the award at age 22.[10]

He worked as a chef at several notable French restaurants, including La Vieille Fontaine near Paris where he received a Michelin Star in 1983, his restaurant Le Miravile, where he was honored with a Michelin Star in 1986, and La Petite Cour in Saint-Germain-des-Pres, Paris.[11] In 1995 he left France to explore U.S. cuisine, speaking very little English. He worked as the Head Chef of the iconic French restaurant L’Orangerie, Los Angeles where he introduced a Provençal-inspired style of cooking. Within a year he was voted Best Chef In America of 1996 by Food & Wine Magazine.[10][11][12] He took the restaurant from empty tables to being booked months in advance, and brought the establishment from a three-star to a five-star restaurant within six months.[12]

Next, he bought and operated the Beverly Hills restaurant Chez Gilles on Beverly Drive along with partner Jean Denoyer.[13]

Having mastered the culinary fusion of French/ California dishes, his clients have included actors, supermodels and politicians across the world.[12] He has prepared dinners for President George Bush, President Bill Clinton, President Ronald Reagan, President Gerald Ford, and President Donald Trump. He has also cooked for French Presidents François Mitterrand, Jacques Chirac, Nicolas Sarkozy, Francois Holland and Emmanuel Macron, as well as the King of Sweden, Sheikh of Qatar, Frank Sinatra, Kirk Douglas, Bruce Springsteen, Slash, Al Pacino, Harvey Keitel, Robert De Niro, Chris Tucker, Mick Jagger, Sharon Stone, Michel Polnareff, Gregory Peck, Richard Gere, Pierce Brosnan, Jennifer Lopez, Beyonce, Sophia Loren, Elizabeth Taylor, Princess Diana, Joan Severance, Zlatan Ibrahimović, Michael Jordan and many more.[14] After 10 years in the United States, Epié decided to return to Paris after his dream restaurant location opened up near the Champs-Elysées. He opened Citrus Etoile restaurant in 2005 along with his wife, former model/actress, Elizabeth Nottoli. He named the restaurant in honor of his friend Chef Michel Richard and his Los Angeles restaurant, Citrus. To celebrate its launch, the French news magazine Paris Match featured Gilles and his wife Elizabeth in a glossy spread, having a black-tie picnic on the wing of an American Airlines Boeing jet.[15] Citrus Etoile was selected as a member of the prestigious Châteaux & Hotels Collection - Tables remarquables.[16] The New York Times listed Citrus Etoile as a "must visit" new restaurant in Paris in 2006, stating "Chef Epie is a true culinary contortionist." In 2006, Condé Nast Traveller named Citrus Etoile as one of the Top 100 Hot Restaurants in the world. Citrus Etoile was also featured in Alain Ducasse's book, J’Aime Paris.[17][18] After 13 successful years, Chef Epié sold Citrus Etoile and decided to return to America, a country he has always loved.[19][20]

Chef Epié was the French food correspondent for the BBC from 2010–2016. In February 2012, he traveled with 4 other Michelin star chefs on the MSC Splendida's Celebrity Chef cruises.[21] In 2012, he was invited to participate in the 25th anniversary celebration of Alain Ducasse's Louis XV restaurant held in Monte Carlo.[22] Chef Epié was also featured with a small group of top chefs in the cookbook "La Truffe" from the Maison de la Truffe restaurant to celebrate its 80th anniversary with 80 truffle recipes in 2012.[23]

In April 2013, Gilles Epié opened Frenchy's, a Parisian style brasserie in the Charles de Gaulle Airport's International Terminal 2.[24][25]

In 2014, Chef Epié participated as a Guest Chef at a charity event for Michelle Obama in Puerto Rico.

In March 2015, Chef Epié was invited as a Guest Chef in New York for an event hosted by the Chefs Club - Food & Wine Magazine.

In 2015, he was the Guest Chef at La Clef des Champs restaurant in Mauritius for a French Gastronomic Week event.[26]

In November 2016, Chef Epié teamed up with Chef Juan Jose Cuevas for the Guest Chef Dinner Series at the Vanderbilt Hotel, a culinary event that took place in Puerto Rico. They presented a collaborative seven-course gastronomic menu.[27][28][29] In 2016, Chef Epié was featured at the James Beard Celebrity Chef Tour Dinner in Santa Barbara[30] and also received FestForum's Lifetime Achievement award.[31]

In 2017, along with other celebrity chefs, Epié cooked at the second edition of the Cuisine of the Sun culinary festival, at Villa La Estancia Beach Resort & Spa in Mexico.[32] He also prepared a gastronomic dinner at the IBEROSTAR Grand Paraíso Hotel in Cancun.[33]

After deciding to return to the U.S., he sold Citrus Etoile in 2017. Gilles Epié became the Corporate Executive Chef at Juvia, Miami Beach in 2018. He participated in the James Beard Foundation's "Beach Chic" charity event in New York City in 2018.[34][20][19][35][36][37]

In Feb. 2019, Epié was invited as a Guest Chef at The Food Network & Cooking Channel South Beach Wine & Food Festival (SOBEWFF®).[38]

In 2019, he became the Culinary Director/ Executive Chef of the exclusive Montage Beverly Hills Hotel, the restaurant was renamed Gilles @ Montage Hotel.

Style of cooking

Epié creates modern French dishes with American and international accents. California influenced Epié's style of cooking and he is praised by weight-conscious food lovers. He also added Asian and Peruvian dishes to his culinary palette. He is known for creating dishes with rich bold tastes. His inventive, delicious and healthy cuisine is constantly evolving.[39]

He explains that the secret to a great dish is always using the finest locally sourced seasonal products.[12]

Television

On television, Gilles Epié and his wife Elizabeth starred in two seasons of his reality documentary show in France for Canal+/Cuisine+, Dans La Vraie Vie D’un Grand Chef (The Real Life of a Top Chef) that featured his restaurant Citrus Etoile.[40][41][42]

Chef Gilles Epie, Ün Frenchy en Cuisine TV show in France

He also starred in 20 episodes (2 seasons) of “Un Frenchy en cuisine” (A Frenchy in the Kitchen) which aired on Cuisine+ in 2015.[14][43]

Gilles Epié has made numerous television appearances, including: NBC News Miami (2018)[44], KTLA Channel 5 - California Cooking with Jessica Holmes (2019)[45], KTLA Channel 5 (2019) [46].

Awards
  • 2016 James Beard Celebrity Chefs Tour / FestForum's Lifetime Achievement Award
  • 2006 Top 100 Hot Restaurants In The World by Condé Nast Traveller 2006, Citrus Etoile
  • 1996 Best New Chef in America, Food & Wine Magazine
  • 1986 Michelin Star - Le Miravile
  • 1983 Michelin Star - La Vieille Fontaine
  • 1980 Michelin Star - Pavillon des Princes
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References
  1. "Citrus Etoile". ParisGourmand.com. Société NETIC. Archived from the original on 15 July 2010. Retrieved 4 August 2010.
  2. "Meet The Youngest Michelin Rated Chef, Gilles Epié". Westmount Magazine. 11 October 2015. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
  3. Paris resto 2012 Dominique Auzias, Jean-Paul Labourdette, Collectif - 2011 Page 102 "CITRUS ÉTOILE 6, rue Arsène-Houssaye (8e).... Gilles Epié, aime faire le grand écart et les deux prix de ces menus en sont le plus bel exemple."
  4. Best of Paris Page 93 "CITRUS ETOILE 6, rue Arsène-Houssaye ... The chef, Gilles Epié, likes to do the splits and the two prices of these menus are the most perfect example."
  5. Elliott, Farley (10 October 2019). "An upscale new Beverly Hills pop-up at the Montage plans to serve a $100 baked potato". Eater LA. Retrieved 8 July 2020.
  6. S.jennifer (18 October 2019). "Gilles Epié takes the lead of the Montage Beverly Hills stoves". California Lines : Latest News headlines, Breaking News, exclusives and opinion. Retrieved 8 July 2020.
  7. Epie, Gilles (5 January 2020). "PORTRAIT. Gilles Épié, le cuisinier nantais qui régale Beverly Hills". Ouest France. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
  8. "Jessica Makes Cheese Soufflé and Baba Rum Flambe With Chef Gilles Epié at His New Beverly Hills Restaurant". KTLA. 15 December 2019. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
  9. "L'Orangerie Through the Years: Chef Shuffles".
  10. Sheridan, Margaret (26 July 1996). "LA Times Article". Los Angeles Times.
  11. "Gilles Epié Official Site". Archived from the original on 28 October 2011.
  12. "Just Luxe Feature".
  13. Sheridan, Margaret (6 March 1997). "LA Times Au Revoir". Los Angeles Times.
  14. "Biography Gilles Epié" (PDF).
  15. Match, Paris. "Chef VIP - Gilles Epié, le goût des stars". parismatch.com (in French). Retrieved 8 July 2020.
  16. "Citrus Etiole in Châteaux & Hotels Collection - Tables remarquables". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 24 June 2013.
  17. "Awards for Citrus Etiole".
  18. "A CONTEMPORARY FRENCH TWIST FOR THANKSGIVING FROM MICHELIN RATED CELEBRITY CHEF GILLES "FRENCHY" EPIÉ".
  19. "Fabulous Food: Chef Gilles Epié Joins Juvia Miami Beach".
  20. "Miami Living Magazine article about Cheg Gilles joining Juvia in Miami".
  21. "Michelin stars in the galley".
  22. "240 chefs and 300 Michelin stars international celebration of the 25th anniversary of the Louis XV-Alain Ducasse" (PDF).
  23. "LIVRE LA TRUFFE". Archived from the original on 20 July 2013.
  24. "Frenchy's, the art of brewing at Paris-Charles de Gaulle". Archived from the original on 7 May 2013. Retrieved 24 June 2013.
  25. "Master Chef Giles Epié shines at Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport Frenchy's Bistro".
  26. "GILLES EPIÉ: A VIP CHEF AT THE CLEF DES CHAMPS".
  27. "What Happens When The Flavors Of Paris And Puerto Rico Collide".
  28. "Gilles Epie Puerto Rico".
  29. Harter, Liz. "Puerto Rico's 1919 Welcomes Parisian Chef Gilles Epie : New Worlder". www.newworlder.com. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
  30. "Santa Barbara's First James Beard Celebrity Chef Tour Dinner To Celebrate Friendship of Julia Child & James Beard".
  31. "FestForums Spotlights The Art & Science of Festivals" (PDF).
  32. "CUISINE OF THE SUN RETURNS TO RIVIERA NAYARIT".
  33. "Ibero Star Chef on Tour".
  34. "MICHELIN STARRED FRENCH CHEF GILLES EPIÉ TO JOIN JUVIA MIAMI BEACH CULINARY TEAM".
  35. "Gilles Epié, the youngest French starred chef regales Miami".
  36. "Gilles Epié | James Beard Foundation". www.jamesbeard.org. Retrieved 8 July 2020.
  37. Figaro, Madame (1 June 2018). "Juvia, le rooftop chic et branché de Miami Beach". Madame Figaro. Retrieved 21 July 2020.
  38. "The Food Network & Cooking Channel South Beach Wine & Food Festival".
  39. "The Gratifying Gourmets".
  40. "In Real Life of a Great Leader". Archived from the original on 22 January 2013.
  41. "A real life chef".
  42. "In the real life of a great Chef ... Gilles Epié".
  43. "Gilles Epié, un frenchy en cuisine".
  44. "Fabulous Food: Chef Gilles Epie Joins Juvia Miami Beach". NBC 6 South Florida. Retrieved 12 July 2020.
  45. "Jessica Makes Cheese Soufflé and Baba Rum Flambe With Chef Gilles Epié at His New Beverly Hills Restaurant". KTLA. 15 December 2019. Retrieved 12 July 2020.
  46. "Summer of Ludo and Gilles New Pop-up at The Restaurant at Montage Beverly Hills". KTLA. 11 July 2019. Retrieved 12 July 2020.
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