Ludo Lefebvre Explained

Ludo Lefebvre
Birth Place:Auxerre, Burgundy, France
Style:Nouvelle Cuisine
Restaurants:Trois Mec, Petit Trois, Trois Familia, LudoBird
Prevrests:LudoBites, L’Esperance in Vézelay, L'Orangerie, Bastide

Ludovic Lefebvre (in French pronounced as /lydo ləfɛvʁ/; born 1971) is a French chef and restaurateur. He has owned and operated several restaurants in Los Angeles.

Early life and training

Lefebvre was born in Auxerre, Burgundy and grew up in Charbuy. His interest in food began during childhood in his grandmother's kitchen. In his early teens, he worked doing menial tasks at local restaurant Maxime.[1]

Lefebvre's culinary training began at age 14 at the restaurant L’Esperance in Vézelay under chef Marc Meneau, where he worked for three years. He then worked with Pierre Gagnaire at his eponymous restaurant in Saint-Étienne (now closed), then with Alain Passard at L'Arpège, then with Guy Martin at Le Grand Vefour.[2]

Career

Restaurants

In 1996, Lefebvre moved to Los Angeles and began working at L'Orangerie under Gilles Epie.[3] In 2004, he moved to the restaurant Bastide on Melrose Place.[4] He created a series of pop-ups called LudoBites.[5]

In 2010, Lefebvre opened a food truck, LudoTruc, selling fried chicken. In October 2013, he opened a brick and mortar location, LudoBird, inside the STAPLES Center.[6] In March 2016, the second location of LudoBird opened at City Walk, Universal Studios Hollywood.

In 2013, Lefebvre opened Trois Mec in partnership Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo. It was named to Esquire's and GQ 's Best New Restaurants lists.[7] [8] The restaurant's Grilled Baby Corn with Black Garlic was named one of Food & Wine's Best Restaurant Dishes of 2013.[9]

In 2014, Lefebvre opened Petit Trois, a bistro concept, next door to Trois Mec.[10] [11] [12] Petit Trois was a 2015 James Beard finalist for Best New Restaurant.[13]

Television appearances

In 2006, Lefebvre appeared on Iron Chef America, challenging Mario Batali in a battle of Big Eye Tuna, where Batali prevailed.[14] Beginning in 2009, Lefebvre appeared on the first and second seasons of Top Chef Masters.[15] He was a guest judge on season 8 of Hell's Kitchen in 2010, and season 20 in 2020.[14] In 2011 alongside his wife, Krissy, he starred in a seven-episode series entitled Ludo Bites America on the Sundance Channel in which the couple open pop-ups in various cities.[15]

In 2013, Lefebvre, Anthony Bourdain, Nigella Lawson and Brian Malarkey appeared as judges/mentors on the ABC cooking competition show The Taste.[16]

In 2016, he hosted Season 5 of Mind of a Chef. In 2020, he was a guest chef on the first episode of Selena Gomez's cooking series, Selena + Chef. In 2022, he co-hosted the TBS cooking competition Rat in the Kitchen with Natasha Leggero.[17]

Books

Recognition

Relais & Châteaux named him one of the World's 50 Greatest Chefs.[20]

Personal life

Lefebvre is married to Kristine. The couple resides in Sherman Oaks, California with their children.

Decorations

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Chef Ludovic Lefebvre of Bastide - Los Angeles Rising Star on StarChefs.com . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20161106205807/http://www.starchefs.com/chefs/rising_stars/2006/la/html/bio_l_febvre.shtml . 6 November 2016 . 27 April 2017 . Star Chefs.
  2. Web site: Pollard . Kit . 2009-04-07 . All Top Chef: Bio - Ludo Lefebvre . 2024-08-08 . Bravo.
  3. Web site: 30 March 2010 . Making a fortune with a chicken truck...and Twitter . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20110124005339/http://www.lemonde.fr/web/recherche_breve/1,13-0,37-1119282,0.html . 24 January 2011 . 27 April 2017 . Le Monde.
  4. News: Sifton . Sam . Sam Sifton . 3 August 2010 . Impresario of Pop-Up Dining . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20170429001949/http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/04/dining/04notebook.html . 29 April 2017 . 27 April 2017 . .
  5. Web site: Garbee . Jenn . 4 October 2012 . Cookbook of the Week: LudoBites Is (Almost) Here! . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20170320132519/http://www.laweekly.com/restaurants/cookbook-of-the-week-ludobites-is-almost-here-2378559 . 20 March 2017 . 27 April 2017 . LA Weekly.
  6. Web site: Hallock . Betty . 2013-10-01 . Fried chicken and biscuits at the new Ludo Bird at Staples Center . 2024-08-08 . . en-US.
  7. Web site: Richman . Alan . 20 February 2014 . The Perfect Night Out: GQ's 25 Best New Restaurants in America, 2014 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20150522182244/http://www.gq.com/life/eat-and-drink/201403/best-new-restaurants-alan-richman#slide=24 . 22 May 2015 . 27 April 2017 . GQ.
  8. Web site: 7 October 2013 . The Best New Restaurants 2013 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20141227150448/http://www.esquire.com/features/food-drink/trois-mec-best-new-restaurants-2013-19#slide-20 . 27 December 2014 . 27 April 2017 . Esquire.
  9. Web site: Best Restaurant Dishes of 2013 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20160303225900/http://www.foodandwine.com/slideshows/best-restaurant-dishes-of-2013 . 3 March 2016 . 27 April 2017 . Food and Wine.
  10. Web site: Rodell . Besha . 7 October 2014 . Petit Trois Review: Trois Mec's Little Sister Is a Tiny Gem . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20171108100426/http://www.laweekly.com/restaurants/petit-trois-review-trois-mecs-little-sister-is-a-tiny-gem-5128333 . 8 November 2017 . 27 April 2017 . LA Weekly.
  11. Web site: Gold . Jonathan . Jonathan Gold . 3 October 2014 . Petit Trois is a bistro done Lefebvre's way . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20170420020320/http://www.latimes.com/food/la-fo-gold-petit-trois-20141004-story.html . 20 April 2017 . 27 April 2017 . .
  12. Web site: Balla . Lesley . 26 September 2014 . Petit Perfection . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20160601021450/http://www.modernluxury.com/angeleno/articles/petit-perfection . 1 June 2016 . 27 April 2017 . Modern Luxury.
  13. Web site: Parsons . Russ . Russ Parsons . 24 March 2015 . Petit Trois, Goin, Narvaez and Taymor lead L.A.'s Beard nominees . 27 April 2017 . .
  14. Web site: Ludo Lefebvre . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20170428050850/http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3419284/ . 28 April 2017 . 27 April 2017 . IMDb.
  15. News: Gelt . Jessica . July 22, 2011 . Hot L.A. chef takes LudoBites to TV . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20140224022407/http://seattletimes.com/html/television/2015696662_ludobitesweb23.html . February 24, 2014 . February 20, 2013 . The Seattle Times.
  16. Web site: 3 February 2013 . Today's News: Our Take - The Taste's French Chef Ludo Lefebvre: It's Game On! . 2024-08-08 . . en-US.
  17. Web site: White . Peter . 2023-01-23 . ‘Rat In The Kitchen’ Canceled At TBS . 2024-08-08 . . en-US.
  18. News: Hinds . Julie . May 18, 2005 . Chef hunks sell . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230412073015/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=XC4zAAAAIBAJ&sjid=dggGAAAAIBAJ&pg=6502,5485574&dq=crave+the-feast-of-the-five-senses+ludo+see+touch+hear+smell+taste&hl=en . April 12, 2023 . September 21, 2016 . The Free Lance-Star.
  19. Web site: Forbes . Paula . 2012-03-05 . Behold the Cover for Ludo Lefebvre's LudoBites Book . 2024-08-08 . . en.
  20. Web site: 2012-08-28 . Coming to the Taste: Ludo Lefebvre . 2024-08-08 . . en-US.
  21. Web site: Nomination dans l'ordre des Arts et des Lettres juillet 2015 - Ministère de la Culture et de la Communication. www.culturecommunication.gouv.fr. 2016-07-17. https://web.archive.org/web/20150923225023/http://www.culturecommunication.gouv.fr/Ministere/Services-rattaches-a-la-ministre/Section-des-distinctions-honorifiques/Arretes-de-Nominations-dans-l-ordre-des-Arts-et-des-Lettres/Nomination-dans-l-ordre-des-Arts-et-des-Lettres-juillet-2015/. 2015-09-23. dead.