CINCINNATI — The City of Cincinnati is mourning the loss of well-known French chef Jean-Robert de Cavel, a friend to many who for nearly 30 years helped build the culinary scene in the city and grow the talent.
What You Need To Know
- Jean-Robert de Cavel was a well-known French chef in Cincinnati
- He was the head chef at the Maisonette and developed The Table and Le Bar a Beouf
- He continued to work after being diagnosed with a soft-tissue cancer in 2018
- De Cavel passed away on Dec. 23
De Cavel was loved by many, especially his friend and business adviser Dennis Speigel.
“He had the biggest heart of any person I ever met,” said Speigel. “A huge, huge heart.”
They met 22 years ago when de Cavel was working at the Maisonette restaurant in Cincinnati.
“I was a frequent visitor there,” he said. “We just met and kind of became instant friends.”
Since arriving in Cincinnati in 1993, de Cavel was not only the head chef at the Maisonette, but also helped develop other restaurants around the city like The Table and Le Bar A Beouf. But he didn’t do it alone.
“He asked me earlier on if I could work with him and advise him on some of his projects, things he was working on, and planning and doing that evolved and through that our friendship evolved,” Speigel said.
De Cavel became very successful in the culinary scene because of his expertise and talent. Nothing stopped him, not even cancer. In 2018, he was diagnosed with leiomyosarcoma, a rare cancer that grows in soft tissue.
“He never complained, not one time,” Speigel said. “He worked every day during his chemotherapy. The only time he was off work with these five years of treatment was when he came down with COVID for a week.”
On Dec. 23, he lost his cancer fight. But Speigel said his legacy still lives on.
“Jean-Robert de Cavel could cook at the level of any chef in the world and we were very fortunate to have him in Cincinnati and evaluate our culinary scene,” he said.
In an effort to honor de Cavel, on New Year’s Eve, items from his newest menu will be available for order at Le Bar a Beouf. Also, a memorial mass will be held Jan. 16 at St. Peter in Chains at 9:30 a.m.