Legendary SoHo Restaurateur Serge Raoul Dead At 86
Raoul's was founded by Serge Raoul and his brother Guy, who journeyed from France to New York City in the 1970s and found the spot for sale. Legendary SoHo restaurateur Serge Raoul has died at 86 from a form of brain cancer called glioblastoma. Raoul and his brother Guy, who moved from France to New York City in the 1970s, founded Raoul's, which still stands on Prince Street and serves French cuisine in a lively Parisian atmosphere. The restaurant was also discovered by Thomas Aloysius Keller, a now James Beard Award-winning American chef, restaurateur, and cookbook author.
Published : 2 months ago by Cailin Loesch in Health
Raoul died Friday of a fast-growing and aggressive form of brain cancer called glioblastoma, his brother told Eater.com. In a tweet that linked to the Eater report, Zimmerman, a chef and television host, wrote that Raoul "was an 'only' and he helped create SoHo in NYC as we know it."
"[A] pioneer and visionary," added Zimmerman, who frequently visited Raoul's and worked with Raoul as a line cook at Hudson Square's Rakel in the 80s. "A great man." Raoul's was founded by Serge Raoul and his brother Guy, who journeyed from France to New York City in the 1970s and found the restaurant for sale.
"The booths were already in place and they kept the chairs until they fell apart or were destroyed in the brawls that marked the early years," according to Raoul's website. "[The brothers] were so poor they threw nothing out, not even the salt. Guy turned his Alsatian cooking skills to fine steaks and fish for low prices — even cheaper at the bar. Serge stood outside on Prince Street, a lonely figure importuning passersby to enter and taste." Then the word began to spread, and "the rest is New York bistro history," the website continued.
"I will always remember [Serge Raoul's] style, his fastidiousness, his devotion to what was classic, his wry sense of humor, but mostly his creativity," Zimmer said in a statement shared with Eater. " His restaurant existed before the McNally brothers' restaurants; it existed before all the other New York-style French bistros. I think he deserves a lot of credit for creating a style of restaurant here in America that has been often copied but rarely, if ever, duplicated." Raoul is also credited for discovering Thomas Aloysius Keller, a now James Beard Award-winning American chef, restaurateur, and cookbook author.
"His passing is a profound personal loss for me ... He transformed the trajectory of my life and made me the chef I am today," Keller said in a tribute shared on Instagram following the news of Raoul's death. "He took a chance on me, hired me at Raoul's, and encouraged me to continue training beyond his kitchen in France. When I returned to New York, Serge became my partner at Rakel … my first restaurant in NYC. Early on in my career, I had many failures and challenges, and Rakel was one of them. Yet, even when it closed, Serge continued to believe in me. I will remember him with great fondness and honor his loyalty….I will miss him deeply." Raoul's still stands on Prince Street and continues to serve customers French cuisine in a bustling Parisian atmosphere.
Topics: In Memoriam