Andre Poirot
Chef, Capriccio Grill Italian Steakhouse (in The Peabody Little Rock)
3 Statehouse Plaza, Little Rock
Peabodylittlerock.com
501-399-8000
Most Gratifying Moment
In the early 1990s in New Orleans, I had the chance to host a dinner for Julia Child and a couple of food critics and aficionados. The Grande Dame was in town for the opening of the local chapter of the American Institute of Wine and Food (AIWF). As an appetizer, I created an Oysters Rockefeller Flan, and when she sampled it, she called it, in her distinctive voice, “Divine! Very creative!” She later told me she loved the dish and ate every bite of it, and she asked me for the recipe. A week later, I received a letter making me an accredited chef of the AIWF.
Recipe for Success
1 | History
34 years and counting.
2 | Inspiration
I discovered at a young age (10) that I really like to cook; it was natural to make it my career.
3 | R&D
Ideas come from everywhere – the grocery store, farmers markets, magazines, television. I always keep my eyes open for inspiration.
4 | Schedule
I work about nine or 10 hours per day, six days per week.
5 | Home
If I’m not working, I usually grill. Otherwise, my wife cooks.
6 | Complicated
Our Kobe beef cheeks, I suppose.
7 | Popular
Our prime steaks, of course.
8 | Plan B
I’d love to be in the wine business — something still related to food and beverage.
9 | A-List
I’ve cooked for a few celebrities and scoundrels. I most like to cook for people who truly enjoy it.
10 | Star
Paula Deen. I had the pleasure to be her sous chef for a show, and she is a riot. What you see on television is who she is in real life.