David Denis, Le Mistral
Food has been a central ingredient of Chef David Denis' life from the very beginning and it is his passion for creating that makes Le Mistral such a special place. David was born and raised in the Provence region of France, in the French Riviera town of Le Revest les Eaux. While his peers played ball outside, David was in the kitchen helping his grandmother, Mémé, in her brasserie in La Seyne, as well as at times with his mother in her restaurant in Le Revest les Eaux. This strong background prepared David for his culinary journey into the flavorful winds, which influenced the namesake of his restaurant.
David began his journey at the young age of 17. He finished first in his class in culinary arts at the École du Beausset in Beausset, France. From there he trained at the famed Hôtel le Carlton International in Cannes, France, where he held the honor as the youngest sauce chef. David then became head chef at Restaurant le Bois de Lune-Montvenix in Savoie at the age of 20, where he had sole responsibility for food preparation and financial management of the restaurant. He then honed his culinary skills for three years as a chef at Hotel le Gasthof Baren in Switzerland. David landed in Houston in 1995 where he spent five years as a private chef for a prominent family. His duties included creating and organizing banquets, as well as private parties at the family's various homes around the world. This experience challenged him to adapt his recipes to different ingredients found in each exotic locale, as well as to meet the family's special requests. A year prior to opening Le Mistral, David was an executive instructor at the Alain and Marie LeNôtre Culinary Institute in Houston, Texas, and he has brought some of his students along with him to hone their skills at Le Mistral.
David has won numerous awards for his cooking in France and has been recognized in the French regional press as superior in his culinary skills. He is certified as a Master-Level Chef by the Culinary Institute of America. David's superb French culinary skills were again recognized in 2001 with his induction into the renowned Confrerie de la Chaîne des Rotisseurs.
In response to continued customer requests for additional Le Mistral options and overwhelming success, David, along with his brother and co-owner, Sylvain Denis, soon will introduce a new Le Mistral next to its current location. The new Le Mistral will feature a separate lounge area, chef's table, private wine cellar, banquet room, and later will add a specialty foods store and French bakery.
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