André Soltner died on Saturday, January 18: The hugely influential French chef was instrumental in shaping New York’s restaurant culture beyond the 30-plus-year reign of Lutèce. He was also beloved as a mentor in the chefs’ community and through his position as a dean at the French Culinary Institute, now part of the Institute of Culinary Education. The 92-year-old Soltner died in Charlottesville, Virginia. His cause of death has not yet been reported.
Lutèce opened in 1961, at 249 E. 50th Street, at Second Avenue — opened by founder André Surmain, who brought the 29-year-old Soltner from France to run the Midtown restaurant. Soltner became the sole owner in 1973, and throughout its existence, it was among the most revered restaurants in the country until it closed in 2004.
The “gilded bistro,” serving specialties of Alsace, was on the ground floor of the building where Soltner lived with his wife, Simone. She also worked at the restaurant, greeting diners and helping to run the restaurant (His wife died in 2016).
Lutèce was a pioneer in elevating standards for quality ingredients. In the obituary penned by former restaurant critic for the New York Times, William Grimes, he noted Soltner “insisted on having Dover sole, Scottish salmon and Mediterranean rouget flown in overnight. He struck deals with farmers to supply shallots and girolle mushrooms.” It was the combination of quality ingredients, “flawless technique,” and a “modern-minded approach to French style that put Lutèce in a class by itself and sent critics scrambling for superlatives,” he wrote.
Soltner became the dean at French Culinary Institute around the time he sold Lutèce to Ark Restaurants, which ran Lutèce until it closed in 2004.
In Grub Street’s tribute to Soltner titled, “The Best Chef in New York,” editor Alan Sytsma noted that after Soltner bought the restaurant, it was run like a bistro, diverging from seating by status. The restaurant was expensive, but warm, Sytsma wrote, softening the haughty stereotype associated with fancy French restaurants.
Chefs around the city have penned their tributes to Soltner including Wildair’s Jeremiah Stone, who said in an Instagram post, “I have never revered a chef as much as this man.” (He worked for Soltner at the French Culinary Institute.) Le B’s chef and owner Angie Mar cites his visits to her restaurant, “bypassing his table, eager to taste the cuisine and say hello to our chefs,” she writes. “He just loved to be in the action.”
“I remember, as a young cook in France, André was the dream of every chef aspiring to make it in New York City,” writes Daniel Boulud in his tribute. “I still laugh when I think about how, on my 30th birthday, I couldn’t get a reservation at Lutèce for months. As a newcomer, securing a spot was nearly impossible. Two months later, I finally managed to enjoy the most genuine French menu, and it was unforgettable.”
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