Alain Sailhac Obituary, Death – French Chef Sailhac passed away on December 1, 2022. Alain Sailhac was a well-known French chef who was born in the city of Millau in France. He currently resides in New York City, where he is employed as the Executive Vice President and Dean Emeritus at The International Culinary Center, which was formerly known as the French Culinary Institute. is known all over the world. While Sailhac was working at Le Cygne in 1977, The New York Times gave him the publication’s very first-ever four-star rating. After that, he worked as a cook at Le Cirque, the 21 Club, and the Plaza Hotel, among other establishments.
Sailhac, who was born in France, started his career in the kitchen when he was only 14 years old. He began by working as an apprentice at the Capion restaurant in his hometown of Millau, which is located in France. Before taking the position of sous chef at the Michelin Guide two-star Chateau de Larraldia, he gained experience in kitchens in Paris, Corfu, Rhodes, and Guadeloupe. Sailhac made his name in the culinary world in New York City beginning in 1965, working as a chef de cuisine at both Le Mistral and Le Manoir. Following those experiences, he worked as an executive chef at l’Hôtel Royal in New Caledonia and at Le Perroquet in Chicago. He also worked at a number of hotels and restaurants in Paris.
Sailhac began his career in the restaurant industry in 1974 and worked at Le Cygne, which earned a coveted four-star rating from The New York Times in 1977 when he was employed there. Between the years 1978 and 1986, he worked as the executive chef at the illustrious Le Cirque restaurant, which is located on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, and was awarded three stars by The New York Times in 1984. In addition to those positions, Sailhac served as the executive chef at the 21 Club, the culinary director at the Plaza Hotel, and a consultant at the Regency Hotel. In 1991, Sailhac became the Dean of Culinary Studies at The French Culinary Institute. Currently, he holds the positions of Executive Vice President and Dean Emeritus at the institute.
After being named Chef of the Year by the Maitres Cuisiniers de France (Master Chefs of France) in 1997, Sailhac was presented with the Silver Toque, an award that positions him among the most accomplished chefs in the world. Together with his wife Arlene Feltman Sailhac, he was honored by Food Arts magazine with the prestigious Silver Spoon Award in the year 2003. Additionally, in 2003, he was honored with receiving the “Who’s Who of Food and Beverage in America” award bestowed by the James Beard Foundation. In addition, Sailhac was a Chevalier of the Agricultural Merit Cross, and in 2004, he was awarded France’s Order of the National Order of Merit.
Chef Sailhac is a member of a number of the most prominent culinary organizations in the world, including the Maitres Cuisiniers de France and the Société Culinaire Philanthropique. Sailhac, along with other chefs from The French Culinary Institute (now known as The International Culinary Center), Jacques Pepin, Jacques Torres, and André Soltner, prepared a dinner at the St. Regis Hotel in Manhattan on May 13, 2010, that cost $30,000 per couple for President Barack Obama’s fund-raiser for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.