Pierre Franey
Encyclopedia
Pierre Franey was a French
chef, best known for his televised cooking shows and his "60 Minute Gourmet" column in The New York Times
.
Franey grew up in northern Burgundy, France. As a young man, he was in the United States at the outbreak of World War II
, cooking in the French Pavilion at the 1939 New York World's Fair
, and remained in New York rather than returning to Occupied France. He reportedly turned down an offer to become the cook for Douglas MacArthur
. Franey served as a machine gunner in the U.S. Army.
After the war, Henri Soulé, who ran the French pavilion's kitchen, opened a restaurant in New York, and hired Franey as head chef. The restaurant, Le Pavillon, was successful, and there Franey met Times food editor Craig Claiborne
. The two struck up a lasting friendship and collaboration.
In 1961, Howard Johnson
, a regular Le Pavillon customer, hired Franey to develop food lines for his chain of Howard Johnson's
restaurants. He worked alongside Jacques Pepin
, another Pavillon cook who would later become famous for his books and TV shows.
In 1976, he and Claiborne gained national attention for an extravagant dinner in Paris. At a fund-raising auction, Claiborne had won a dinner for two, with no price limit, donated by American Express. He and Franey went to the Paris restaurant Chez Denis, and ordered a 31-course dinner with multiple wines. The bill was about $4,000; Claiborne's subsequent story about the meal, on page one of The New York Times
, intrigued many readers and offended many others.
Franey died in 1996 shortly after giving a shipboard cooking demonstration aboard the RMS Queen Elizabeth 2
. He is buried in Green River Cemetery
in Springs, New York
in East Hampton, New York
on Long Island
.
French people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
chef, best known for his televised cooking shows and his "60 Minute Gourmet" column in The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
.
Franey grew up in northern Burgundy, France. As a young man, he was in the United States at the outbreak of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, cooking in the French Pavilion at the 1939 New York World's Fair
1939 New York World's Fair
The 1939–40 New York World's Fair, which covered the of Flushing Meadows-Corona Park , was the second largest American world's fair of all time, exceeded only by St. Louis's Louisiana Purchase Exposition of 1904. Many countries around the world participated in it, and over 44 million people...
, and remained in New York rather than returning to Occupied France. He reportedly turned down an offer to become the cook for Douglas MacArthur
Douglas MacArthur
General of the Army Douglas MacArthur was an American general and field marshal of the Philippine Army. He was a Chief of Staff of the United States Army during the 1930s and played a prominent role in the Pacific theater during World War II. He received the Medal of Honor for his service in the...
. Franey served as a machine gunner in the U.S. Army.
After the war, Henri Soulé, who ran the French pavilion's kitchen, opened a restaurant in New York, and hired Franey as head chef. The restaurant, Le Pavillon, was successful, and there Franey met Times food editor Craig Claiborne
Craig Claiborne
Craig Claiborne was an American restaurant critic, food writer and former food editor of the New York Times. He was the author of numerous cookbooks and an autobiography...
. The two struck up a lasting friendship and collaboration.
In 1961, Howard Johnson
Howard Deering Johnson
Howard Deering Johnson was an entrepreneur, businessman, and the founder of an American chain of restaurants and motels under one company of the same name, Howard Johnson's.-Early life:...
, a regular Le Pavillon customer, hired Franey to develop food lines for his chain of Howard Johnson's
Howard Johnson's
Howard Johnson's is a chain of hotels and restaurants, located primarily throughout the United States and Canada. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, Howard Johnson's was the largest restaurant chain in the United States, with over 1,000 restaurants...
restaurants. He worked alongside Jacques Pepin
Jacques Pépin
Jacques Pépin is an internationally recognized French chef, television personality, and author working in the United States. Born in Bourg-en-Bresse, Lyon in France, Pepin was raised by a father and mother who jointly owned a restaurant, where he later credited the start of his love for food. He...
, another Pavillon cook who would later become famous for his books and TV shows.
In 1976, he and Claiborne gained national attention for an extravagant dinner in Paris. At a fund-raising auction, Claiborne had won a dinner for two, with no price limit, donated by American Express. He and Franey went to the Paris restaurant Chez Denis, and ordered a 31-course dinner with multiple wines. The bill was about $4,000; Claiborne's subsequent story about the meal, on page one of The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, intrigued many readers and offended many others.
Franey died in 1996 shortly after giving a shipboard cooking demonstration aboard the RMS Queen Elizabeth 2
RMS Queen Elizabeth 2
Queen Elizabeth 2, often referred to simply as the QE2, is an ocean liner that was operated by Cunard from 1969 to 2008. Following her retirement from cruising, she is now owned by Istithmar...
. He is buried in Green River Cemetery
Green River Cemetery
Green River Cemetery is a cemetery in the hamlet of Springs, New York within the Town of East Hampton.The cemetery was originally intended for the blue collar local families of the Springs neighborhood who supported the ocean mansions in East Hampton , New York...
in Springs, New York
Springs, New York
Springs is a census-designated place roughly corresponding to the hamlet by the same name in the town of East Hampton in Suffolk County, New York on the South Fork of Long Island. As of the United States 2000 Census, the hamlet population was 4,950...
in East Hampton, New York
East Hampton (town), New York
The Town of East Hampton is located in southeastern Suffolk County, New York, at the eastern end of the South Shore of Long Island. It is the easternmost town in the state of New York...
on Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
.
External links
- Goodbye mag profile
- New York Times obituary
- New York Times story about Paris dinner
- Franey article appearing in the 23-JUL-1981 Gainesville Sun, via the NYT News Service, giving insight to Franey's writing style and sharing his insight on an important Chef's tool that's little known outside of professional kitchens