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André Soltner
André Soltner (November 20, 1932 – January 18, 2025) was a French-American chef and author, based for decades at New York City's Lutèce, from its opening in 1961 as chef, later as partner and from 1973 as owner until 1994. He ran the restaurant together with his wife, Simone. He was internationally recognized, regarded as one of America's first superstar chefs,[1] and the restaurant as America's Best French Restaurant.[2] Soltner later served as Dean of Classic Studies at the French Culinary Institute, and wrote the Lutèce Cookbook. Life and careerSoltner was born in Thann, Alsace, on Nov. 20, 1932, the son of a cabinet maker.[3] The boy wanted to follow in his father's trade, but when the business went to his older brother, he turned to cooking, impressed by his mother's devotion to it. He started his career at the age of 15 at the Hôtel du Parc in in Mulhouse with a three-years apprenticeship, learning all stations of the kitchen.[2] He then trained also at restaurants of hotels in Normandy and in Switzerland. After military service, he becoming chef at Chez Hansi in Paris,[3] an Alsatian brasserie[2] where Simone Gomez, his future wife, was a waitress. He was recognized there by Andre Surmain who suggested to run a restaurant in New York City together.[3] Soltner became chef at Lutèce when Surmain opened it in 1961, at age 29.[3][4][5] The first review in the New York Times by Craig Claiborne, one month after the opening,[2] described the place as "impressively elegant and conspicuously expensive" and awarded only one star for the food. André and Simone Soltner married in 1962; she helped with taking care of the guests. The first years of the restaurant were difficult; Soltner struggled with lack of high-quality ingredients, saying “No chanterelles, no Dover sole. The bread was miserable." When he wanted to return to France, Surmain offered him partnership, and he and his wife moved into the same building, overlooking the team closely.[3] Lutèce has been compared to a gilded bistro, serving specialties from Alsace in an intimate setting. Soltner's wife, Simone, also worked at the restaurant in reception and management. Soltner was a pioneer in high standards of ingredients quality, such as fresh fish flown in overnight. He had contracts with farmers to supply shallots and mushroomss. His technique was described as flawless and his approach to French cuisine as "modern-minded.[4][5] He served classic dishes such as tournedos Wellington, pied de porc, hot raspberry souffle and petits fours.[3] The restaurant rose in recognition by both diners and critics,[3] achieving a four-star rating from The New York Times.[3][6] Soltner became the sole owner in 1972.[2][3] He missed only 4 days while at Lutèce, because of funerals in his family.[3] Soltner sold the restaurant in 1994, after 33 years of work there, to Ark Restaurants, which ran it until it closed in 2004. It remained one of the highly ranked restaurants in the U.S..[5] Soltner received more than 25 awards, including the French government's Légion d'honneur and Officier du Mérite National. He was honored with the James Beard Foundation's Lifetime Achievement Award,[6] the 1968 Meilleur Ouvrier de France,[3][6] and was a Chevalier du Mérite Agricole.[6] Soltner was a member of several culinary organizations, including the American Institute of Wine & Food, for which he and his wife Simone established the André and Simone Soltner Food Education Scholarship to support applicants pursuing a culinary career. Soltner was a member of the American Culinary Federation, the Chef de Cuisine Association of America, and the Société de Cuisiniers de France. He also served for more than 20 years as Délegué Général of the Maîtres Cuisiniers de France (Master Chefs of France) and was a trustee of the Société Culinaire Philanthropique. Soltner served as Dean of Classic Studies at the French Culinary Institute, part of the new International Culinary Center in New York City.[5] On 13 May 2010, Soltner, along with other chefs from the French Culinary Institute including Jacques Pepin, Jacques Torres and Alain Sailhac, prepared a $30,000-per-couple dinner for U.S. President Barack Obama's fund-raiser for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee at Manhattan's St. Regis Hotel.[7] Personal lifeSoltner was married to Simone, who worked at the restaurant with him; they had no children. They lived in the apartment above the restaurant until 2004, when they moved to a new appartment in Manhattan.[3] They spent Sundays at a home in Hunter Mountain where he liked to ski.[2] Simone Soltner died in 2016.[3][5] He had also a home in Cannes in France.[3] Soltner died at a hospital in Charlottesville, Virginia, on January 18, 2025, at the age of 92.[3][4][5] He was visiting Maryvonne Gasparini, a companion.[3] References
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