American chefs who have chosen France

In keeping with the American mindset, nothing is impossible, not even becoming a recognized chef's hat in the land of Paul Bocuse. Japanese chefs are not the only ones to embrace the excellence of French gastronomy. Many talents born in the land of Uncle Sam have the panache to master the art of adapting French terroir to create a cuisine that is audacious, even flippant. Since American colors are in the spotlight at Donald Trump's inauguration, let's focus on five American chefs who have succeeded in shining in French kitchens.

Thomas Graham (Mermoz) in Paris

By his own admission, Thomas Graham never wanted to leave after arriving in France at the age of 17 to train at Le Cordon Bleu. " I loved living here too much! "says the English chef, who grew up in Los Angeles from the age of five. He adds, "to have so many quality products available so easily and to live in a country that has so much respect for chefs, it's wonderful! ". The thirty-something acquired a taste for French culinary traditions when, as a teenager, he had to look after his sister's meals. " I naturally found French recipes, and I thought it was the most challenging repertoire ," he recalls.

Although he remembers starting out with a roast chicken, Thomas Graham quickly became adept at more complex dishes, such as koulibiac. And it's with just as much ease that he learns French as he evolves in successive brigades in Paris, where he admits he sometimes suffers from clichés about the supposed lack of quality in English cuisine. " It can create tension when you're Anglo-Saxon and you're doing well," says the philosophically inclined chef, who doesn't dwell on a few bullies. Honing his skills alongsideAmélie Darvas, notably at Aponem, Thomas Graham rounded out his knowledge at the Noma of emblematic Danish chef René Redzepi, as well as at Copenhagen's other top table, Geranium. Now behind the stoves at Le Mermoz, he has become one of the most scrutinized chefs on the Paris culinary scene.

• See Gault&Millau's review of Le Mermoz
• 16 Rue Jean Mermoz 75008 Paris

Daniel Rose (La Bourse et la Vie) in Paris

Both his name and his surname sound French. But you have to pronounce them Anglo-Saxon. After all, Daniel Rose hails from Chicago. In the end, his identity may already have hinted at his future French destiny. Trained at the Bocuse Institute, following a university course in Paris, Daniel Rose changed his path to stay in France. The American fell in love with the French culture. He will never leave, except to perfect his skills, as he did in 2005 when he left for Guatemala. In 2006, Daniel Rose opened his first Parisian restaurant, Spring, which he ran until 2017. He has been hailed as one of the first American chefs to successfully delight the French. He is now at the helm of a renowned bistro in the Bourse district.

• See Gault&Millau's review of La Bourse et la Vie
• 12 Rue Vivienne 75002 Paris

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Cybèle Idelot (restaurant La Table de Cybèle) in Boulogne-Billancourt

" France is a culinary and cultural powerhouse. It ' s like going back to the source ," says Cybèle Idelot of the presence of American-born chefs in France. " Even though in the U.S., cuisine has become a very serious subject, it's not anchored in the roots like it is here". Her view is all the more clear-sighted given that the chef at La Table de Cybèle is without doubt the most French of American chefs. And it's not just because of her first name, borrowed from the heroine of the French film " Les Dimanches de Ville-d'Avray ".

Even though she grew up on the outskirts of San Francisco, surrounded by farmhouse cheeses and other local produce, Cybèle Idelot forged her palate around the French dishes her mother cooked, as if in remembrance of the good old days when the latter was a top model in Paris. " When I was a child, I always used to say that I was half French," recalls the chef with a sense of humor, who has always felt closer to the culture of France than that of her American forebears. Her very first recipe is quite symbolic: " I was six years old and I made rolls to imitate my mother, but they weren't very good," she laughs.

• See Gault&Millau's review of La Table de Cybèle
• 38 Rue de Meudon 92100 Boulogne-Billancourt

anne-Claire Héraud

Elodie Li (Château Brachet) at Grésy-sur-Aix

She's the new recruit at Château Brachet, near Aix-les-Bains. And it's a phenomenon that the Savoy gastronomic destination has recruited. Hailing from Seattle, Elodie Li is a powerhouse to some, a fighter to others. Her energy matches her desire to cook. " I originally studied business finance, but I changed careers after a personal tragedy," says this self-taught woman. I' ve never been the best in the kitchen, but I've always been diligent and I work as if it were a matter of life and death ", she continues.

In France, Elodie Li has worked in brigades with Ronan Kernen and Mickaël Féval in Aix-en-Provence, and at Château de Massillan in the Var. " After starting out in a Sicilian restaurant in Seattle, where I ended up as sous-chef, my chef advised me to move to France to train, not in the tricks of the trade, but above all in attitude. The energy in French kitchens is very singular. I came to test myself to see if I was really cut out for this profession ", explains the young woman, whose maternal grandmother is French and lives in Corrèze.

From an early age, the chef traveled the world, from Latin America to Europe, in the wake of her adventurous parents, whose father worked for Google. These exotic experiences, marked by meals at gourmet tables and visits to typical markets, have forged her palate. " I had to come to France to learn the basics so that I could combine them with my influences and present a cuisine that reflects me," she concludes.

pauline Marizy

Kristin Frederick in Paris

A presentation of the American stars shining on French cuisine would not be complete without a special mention for Kristin Frederick. How could we forget the Californian who imported the food truck concept to France in 2011? Yes, she's the one behind the mobile ovens where you can order well-made burgers, that is, well-sourced with seasonal and local produce. Or rather, the truck that smokes. A graduate of the prestigious Ferrandi culinary school, Kristin Frederick comes from a restaurant background, but it was in France that the Los Angeles native cut her teeth in the kitchen. The American chef was not content to evolve in the world of street food, and established herself as one of the first to propose a rein 2017, with her Parisian restaurant Greenhouse, which closed following the health crisis in 2020.