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'World's best chef' Benoit Violier dies aged 44
bbc ^ | 02/01/2016

Posted on 02/01/2016 7:23:30 AM PST by BenLurkin

Violier, 44, ran the Restaurant de l'Hotel de Ville in Crissier, near the city of Lausanne.

It earned three Michelin stars and came top in France's La Liste ranking of the world's 1,000 best eateries.

Swiss police said Mr Violier, who was born in France, appeared to have shot himself.

The Swiss news website 24 Heures said (in French) that Mr Violier had been due to attend the launch of the new Michelin guide in Paris on Monday.

His death comes only months after that of Philippe Rochat, his mentor and predecessor at the Restaurant de l'Hotel de Ville, who fell ill while cycling.

Having worked at the restaurant since 1996, Mr Violier took it over along with his wife Brigitte in 2012, later obtaining Swiss nationality.

A keen hunter, he was known for signature dishes including game and produced a weighty book on game meat last year.

...

According to a biography on his website, Mr Violier grew up in a family of seven children in the town of Saintes, in western France.

His passion for gastronomy was inspired by his mother from a young age, while he learned about wine, cognac and hunting from his father.

He moved to Paris in 1991, training with top French chefs including Joel Robuchon and Benoit Guichard.

He said his time there taught him "rigour, discipline and the art of the beautiful gesture".

(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.com ...


TOPICS: Food
KEYWORDS: benoitviolier; suicide; violier
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To: needmorePaine

Well, there’s art, and then there is the art of (something.)

Though I suspect Mr. Wilde would have eagerly derided both the Art of the Deal, and The Art of War.


21 posted on 02/01/2016 7:48:20 AM PST by BenLurkin (The above is not a statement of fact. It is either satire or opinion. Or both.)
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To: BenLurkin

But what would he have to say about Art Linkletter? Or Art Fleming?


22 posted on 02/01/2016 7:52:04 AM PST by IronJack
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To: Liz

oh my.....

-JT


23 posted on 02/01/2016 7:53:20 AM PST by Jamestown1630 ("A Republic, If you can keep it.")
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To: BenLurkin

‘If something’s worth doing, it’s worth over-doing’


24 posted on 02/01/2016 7:53:35 AM PST by txhurl (I'm NO LONGER with the Nasty Canadian '16 (well, unless he wins ;)))
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To: mplsconservative

Best chef in the world?

Yea, well, can he smoke a brisket for 18 hours over mesquite and get a perfect smoke ring?


25 posted on 02/01/2016 7:57:08 AM PST by biff
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To: BenLurkin

The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation.-Thoreau


26 posted on 02/01/2016 7:59:15 AM PST by bramps (It's the Islam, stupid!)
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To: biff

Not sure about the best chef thing. But if you can do that I’ll line up to nominate you! Sounds wonderful. :)


27 posted on 02/01/2016 8:00:55 AM PST by mplsconservative
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To: mplsconservative

Texas style BBQ.


28 posted on 02/01/2016 8:05:14 AM PST by biff
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To: Olog-hai

Some nouvelle chef put too much salt in the Vichyssoise and the Michelin Guide decided to drop his restaurant to two stars.

He became despondent. The rest is history.


29 posted on 02/01/2016 8:06:36 AM PST by CARTOUCHE (Say Good Night Gracie.)
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To: Olog-hai
I never even heard of this fellow. Does the article say what drove him to suicide?

I'll guess a Peugot.

30 posted on 02/01/2016 8:11:04 AM PST by eartrumpet
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To: biff

I was in Austin a long time ago. Danced at the Broken Spoke and had out of this world BBQ at a joint near there. Wish I could recall the name. Served with white bread right out of the bag and I can still recall the heavenly taste today. We don’t get anything like that in Minnesota. Yes, I’m jealous.


31 posted on 02/01/2016 8:15:14 AM PST by mplsconservative
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To: BenLurkin
Swiss police said Mr Violier, who was born in France, appeared to have shot himself.

Something smells fishy.

32 posted on 02/01/2016 8:25:31 AM PST by TexasCajun (#BlackViolenceMatters)
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To: mplsconservative

When I was a young-un way back, BBQ was really just grilling a hamburger or steak and I never really had BBQ until I moved to Texas in 1971 and absolutely fell in love with it too. Texas has its own kind of BBQ as well as our Tex-Mex Mexican food which is also different than the most of the country. I have a real weakness for those two foods.


33 posted on 02/01/2016 8:27:48 AM PST by biff
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To: BenLurkin
l'art de le beau geste

Too bad about the gentleman's death.

34 posted on 02/01/2016 8:52:23 AM PST by Tax-chick ("Government employees are the single most important Democrat interest group."~Kevin Williamson)
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To: Olog-hai
"Violier's apparent suicide has shocked the restaurant world and sown confusion as to why he would kill himself a month after being crowned the best chef in the world. Some of his closest friends offered an answer, however, speculating that the intense stress of running one of the planet's greatest restaurants suddenly overwhelmed the young chef just as he struggled to cope with the double loss of his father and closest culinary mentor."

Lots of the details - http://www.thespec.com/news-story/6257450-suspected-suicide-of-world-s-best-chef-reveals-pressure-cooker-of-haute-cuisine/

IMO, charging $200 for a quick lunch is thievery. That is some people's entire food budget for a month. I can't begin to guess what this plate of his is but it looks disgusting. I'd rather have a pbj.


35 posted on 02/01/2016 8:53:31 AM PST by bgill (CDC site, "We still do not know exactly how people are infected with Ebola")
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To: bgill

This February 14th Happy Hour Special: Ask for the Valentine Lover’s Delight and they’ll throw in the other gonad for just $29 more!...


36 posted on 02/01/2016 9:07:14 AM PST by Hatteras
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To: BenLurkin

37 posted on 02/01/2016 9:08:24 AM PST by dfwgator
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To: BenLurkin

Sometimes a phrase has a meaning in the original language that doesn’t fully translate; it’s a ‘spirit’ kind-of-thing.

The native speakers know what it means in its fullness, while in translation it may only come out as approximate.

-JT


38 posted on 02/01/2016 9:13:05 AM PST by Jamestown1630 ("A Republic, If you can keep it.")
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To: Hatteras

Hey, now, fried mountains oysters are darned tasty.

Ha, hubby took me out for a Valentine’s Day Special steak and shrimp. Truth in advertising. It was exactly that. One steak and one shrimp. The steak was inedible and the shrimp was a Gorton’s Fisherman frozen fried shrimp. Never again. I’d rather cook at home or he can bring home McDonald’s.

After looking around on this chef’s site, that pic is misleading. He served everything on giant plates but the food amounts to about three bites. One consisted of three asparagus tips. Typical uppity French I’m-better-than-you fare.


39 posted on 02/01/2016 9:22:20 AM PST by bgill (CDC site, "We still do not know exactly how people are infected with Ebola")
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To: bgill

I don’t think it’s thievery, as nobody is forced to pay it.

If one has the money, I see patronizing haute cuisine restaurants/chefs as similar to patronizing any of the arts.

-JT


40 posted on 02/01/2016 9:25:47 AM PST by Jamestown1630 ("A Republic, If you can keep it.")
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