Partners
Laurent Gras was born and raised in Antibes on the Côte d’Azur in France, in a family and culture that was very food oriented. Throughout his childhood, he did not think it was exceptional to have fruit orchards at the country house, or fresh fish from the Mediterranean at the market, or a family olive orchard that pressed 100 liters of oil every December. It was simply a part of everyday life. Only later, as he began his career and his travels, did he realize the bounty of his youth had set a standard early on for the freshest ingredients and an appreciation for simplicity.
At the age of 15, when the time came to choose his métier, Gras was intending to enter one of the mathematics universities. On a lark, he took the entrance exam to hotel school with his friends and passed. Gras realized it was important to find a profession that would allow him to express himself through manual creativity, so he chose instead to become a chef. His resume of the next ten years is a formable list of Michelin starred restaurants and great chefs. Each chef had a unique personality that yielded different lessons for the young cook: Jacques Maximin‘s spontaneity, Guy Savoy’s generosity and dedication to his staff and la maison, Alain Ducasse’s ambition, Alain Senderens’s research and thought process. One thing they all shared in common was a dedication to the highest level of quality in ingredients, staff, and resources. It is in this atmosphere of excellence and hard work that Gras began to shape his own ideas of cooking.
The practical experience of working in so many prestigious kitchens enhanced his technique, and to enhance his palette of taste and perspective Gras traveled the world. The months in between the dates on his resume were filled with trips to the Far East, Asia, Central and South America, trips that would last months or even a year. More voyage than vacation, the souvenirs from these trips would always find their way into his cooking.
After achieving 3 Michelin stars as the chef de cuisine at Alain Ducasse Paris in 1996, Gras decided the time had come to find his own restaurant. He chose New York City because as he says "it is a very interesting place for a chef to be because of the energy and excitement in the restaurant industry. A restaurant’s success is driven not only by the food, but also by the experience of dinning and the personality of the chef. New York gave me a greater freedom of expression on the plate, the opportunity to be involved in my industry, all things that do not really exist for a chef in France."
Gras arrived in New York City in 1997 at the Waldorf Astoria's Peacock Alley. He did not change the menu right away, but instead took a few months to dine out in his new city and to discover the local purveyors and products. "Of course I enjoy cooking for myself" he explains "which is why I am a chef, but it is most important that people at the table enjoy themselves. I took the first few months to investigate what it is people in New York would like to eat." His cooking was received with high praise from critics and diners alike. Gras next conquered the west coast, taking the helm of the Fifth Floor restaurant in San Francisco. The next three years would be a discovery of the bounty of California’s farms and waters, and furthering his relationship with American diners.
In 2007 Gras moved to Chicago to begin working on L.2o with Chicago-based restaurateur Richard Melman, the founding chairman of Lettuce Entertain You. Gras and Melman had developed a relationship over the years, along with an idea to open a restaurant together, and L.2o seemed the perfect collaboration. The seafood restaurant would be the first Gras would own and give his full expression having the opportunity design it from the ground up.
Gras’s cooking style continues to evolve, because each of his dishes is an idea that traverses his thoughts and hands, with the final gesture on the plate. While his cuisine is easy to enjoy, with its intense flavors and simple elegance, it is harder to describe. It does not fit neatly into any one category. Instead of limiting himself to a particular nationality or style, he is inspired by the world around him. Gras defines his cuisine by the principles of flavor, aesthetic and perfection, in that order.