René Bajeux, La Provence
As one of the 44 French Master Chefs in America as designated by the prestigious Maitre Cuisinier de France organization, René Bajeux would seem to inhabit a rarified world of high culture and haute cuisine. In fact, he would tell you that he is no more than a glorified farm boy, never happier than when among the nitty gritty earthiness of farmyard life.
The master French chef, who has made his home in New Orleans the past ten years, was born and raised on a farm in Lorraine, France, where food and cooking were an integral part of his everyday life. Growing up, René was expected to participate in every aspect of farm life, and was compensated for his labor with fresh milk, pork, and bags of potatoes. His family also spent time in the south of France, where he worked with sailors and fishermen, receiving payment again, not in francs, but in chunks of fresh tuna or a few handfuls of sardines. He learned first hand -- at the source -- the value of basic, fresh ingredients, and the true elegance of simple, rustic peasant fare.
It wasn't until he was 14 years old that Bajeux actually set foot in a restaurant - and that was when he went to work, not dine, in one. Then and there he realized that his heart was in the kitchen, and he wanted to do nothing more than create food to share with friends - and by extension, everyone who came to him for a good meal. After receiving his culinary degree, Bajeux fulfilled his mandatory military service as a cook in the French navy, then made his way to the United States via Montreal. He spent his early career in Chicago at some of the city's best restaurants, then moved to Hawaii to open the signature restaurant at the Four Seasons resort. From there, he took on the responsibilities of running the kitchen at the Four Seasons' five-star, five-diamond property in Beverly Hills. In 1997, Bajeux moved to New Orleans and took command of The Grill Room at the Windsor Court Hotel, where he maintained its coveted five-star designation from the Mobil Travel Guide, as well as its AAA five-diamond designation. In 2001, he opened René Bistrot, a haven of authentic French cooking in the heart of downtown New Orleans; it was listed among Esquire Magazine's "Best New Restaurants" the following year. Among the many other accolades he has received along the way are 2001 Chef of the Year from the American Tasting Institute; inclusion among "America's Top Tables," Gourmet Magazine 1998; and James Beard Outstanding Member, 1997-2000.
Bajeux's culinary philosophy of terroir cooking is classically French. Meaning "of the earth," it describes dishes that reflect the area in which their ingredients are produced. Bajeux believes strongly that a chef should be connected to the foods he serves by using strictly local ingredients - very local, if not actually raised by the chef himself... In this, he is a kindred spirit of Chef John Besh, a longtime friend and colleague who shares a fierce devotion to the terroir approach.
Long before John Besh acquired La Provence, the legendary French restaurant of his mentor Chef Chris Kerageorgiou, he and Bajeux had dreamed about it as their ideal venue. "That is the restaurant you need, René," his friend would say. Once Besh purchased the Lacombe property early in 2007, he set right to work establishing on its extensive grounds the kitchen gardens, farmyard, and orchard that he knew belonged to a restaurant serving authentic terroir cuisine. It was just what it took to lure his old friend, who was already feeling the need to return to his world of the farm, to the position of Executive Chef and Partner at La Provence. "It is so important for me, as a cook, to have a garden, to have farm animals," says Bajeux, "it is where I am from - it is not corporate, not administrative, just simply working with the fruits of the earth."
Chef Besh wants La Provence to continue to blossom in the nurturing hands of René Bajeux, and their shared philosophy and innate culinary connection ensure that it will. Although he is not from Provence, Bajeux asserts that true French cooking draws from all regions, not just an isolated area, and benefits from many geographic influences. He is excited about the return to his rustic roots. "Not too complicated," he explains, "for example, before I was a chef, I was first trained as a butcher. I worked in a slaughter house. How many chefs today can claim that kind of training?" At La Provence, that specialized background will translate in a number of recherché 'innovations': Bajeux plans to use the enormous fireplace in the bar and lounge area for pig-roasting; he will also be building a smokehouse out back to make his own bacon. The charcuterie will have pride of place on the menu, with house-made pâtés and boudin... and those prepared du jour.
"I want to grow and make everything that we will be serving," says this inveterate farm boy, "it is the way we do things where I come from and this is where I am from now."
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