Paul Liebrandt is a chef and restaurateur. He was the co-owner of Corton restaurant in New York and the subject of the documentary film, A Matter of Taste: Serving Up Paul Liebrandt. Liebrandt is known for his daring cuisine, creativity and eccentric style, and has been awarded two Michelin stars. He previously worked at Atlas, Gilt and Papillon restaurants in New York, and in 2008 opened Corton.
Liebrandt was born in Harare, Zimbabwe (formerly Salisbury, Rhodesia) on August 26, 1976 and was raised in London, England. After accumulating experience in upscale restaurants in London and Paris, he moved to New York in 1999.
Career
At age 15, Liebrandt considered becoming an officer in the British Army as his father had done. After his parents divorced when he was eleven, he attended St. George’s boarding school in Hertfordshire, England. He moved out of his house in 1992 and began work as a commis chef at L'Escargot in London. In 1995 he was a commis chef at Marco Pierre White, at a time when White was the youngest chef to be awarded three Michelin stars. Liebrandt later went to work for Raymond Blanc’s two Michelin star Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons in Oxford, England. In 1999, Liebrandt moved to New York, where he worked as a sous chef at Bouley Bakery.
Atlas
In 2000, Liebrandt became executive chef at Atlas at 40 Central Park South, where at age 24, he was the youngest chef ever to earn a three star review from The New York Times. He quit over a disagreement with the owners about the menu at Atlas and went to work at the bistro, Papillon.
Papillon
While at Papillon, Liebrandt earned a two-star rating from The New York Times. He also earned a reputation for eccentricity, in part for requiring diners to eat their prix fixe meals while bound and blindfolded. According to Liebrandt, it was the pastry chef's idea and only happened on two occasions.
Liebrandt quit the restaurant after a few months when it dropped his avant-garde menu in favor of "burgers and fries", in response to diners' post-9/11 preference for comfort food. He consulted for the Veda Group and worked as a private chef for Prince Andrew and Lord Rothschild.
Gilt
Sirio Maccioni opened Gilt in December 2005, in the former location of Le Cirque 2000, in the New York Palace Hotel. Maccioni recruited Liebrandt as Gilt's executive chef allowing Liebrandt to create a menu that Thomas Keller characterized as a "light years" extension of his cooking. The restaurant received a two-star review from The New York Times. Liebrandt was dismissed just a few months later and, in August 2006, was replaced by chef Christopher Lee.
Corton
After leaving Gilt, Liebrandt freelanced for a short time before meeting with famed restaurateur Drew Nieporent. Nieporent recruited Liebrandt to reopen his Tribeca restaurant, Montrachet, which originally opened in 1985. In October 2008, Liebrandt and Nieporent reopened Montrachet under the new name, Corton. Corton earned two stars in the 2012 New York City Michelin Guide. Liebrandt's elaborately imaginative food and "sometime outré" style were toned down slightly at Corton, but reservations at Corton often must be made weeks in advance and Liebrandt's cooking continues to receive favorable reviews. Corton closed in July 2013 when Chef Liebrandt left to open The Elm in Brooklyn in the McCarren Hotel & Pool. The Elm closed in February 2015.
A Matter of Taste
Liebrandt starred in the Sally Rowe directed documentary film A Matter of Taste:Serving Up Paul Liebrandt. The film follows Liebrandt's New York career over the course of a decade, and premiered on HBO on June 13, 2011. The film was nominated for an Emmy for Best Cultural Programming in 2012.
Food writer Andrew Friedman started discussions in 2011 about writing a book which will be published by Clarkson Potter in 2013.
Awards
Liebrandt has received several awards and other recognition throughout his career.
- Youngest Three Star Chef, The New York Times, 2000
- The Best and the Brightest, Esquire, 2002
- Two Stars, Corton, Michelin Guide, 2009
- Best New Chef, Food and Wine, 2009
See also
- David Bouley
- Molecular gastronomy
References
External links
- Corton
