taped at
Le Francais
Wheeling IL

Patrick Chabert was the pastry chef at Le Francais when taped for Great Chefs Television. Chabert was born in Belley, birthplace of Brillat-Savarin. He apprenticed at l’Auberge Bressane (2 Michelin stars) in Bourg en Bresse — the Bresse so famous for its chickens. He then moved south to work at Le Festival in Cannes (1 Michelin star), and spent two years at l’Oasis in La Napoule (3 Michelin stars) with the famed Louis Outhier.

Chabert worked for a season aboard a private yacht, then moved back to help his father with the family restaurant for five years, earning a Michelin star for the restaurant. Leaving again, he returned to Cannes to work at the Grand Hotel and the Royal Gray d’Albion. In 1983 he was hired by renowned chef Jean Banchet, chef-owner of Le Francais, to work as sous-chef for six years. When the restaurant was sold to Roland Liccioni, Chabert stayed on as sous-chef. When Chef Banchet returned to Le Francais, Chabert, who had already begun teaching culinary classes, formed a culinary school in Evanston, Illinois, with Michel Coatrieux.