André Soltner, the dedicated French chef behind Lutèce who helped turn New York City into a world-class dining destination, died on Jan. 18. He was 92. From 1961 to 1994, Soltner led the kitchen at his French bistro on Manhattan’s East Side at 50th Street, teaching American diners what classic French techniques could do when coupled with fresh, first-class ingredients.
After receiving Food Arts’ coveted Silver Spoon Award in June 1995, Soltner told the magazine: "When I came here 34 years ago, I went around and looked at menus. Everybody had veal with chanterelles. The veal was terrible. The chanterelles were imported from Germany in cans. It was like that with everything. In the beginning, we were the only ones who had fresh sole. We had it flown in and went to the airport ourselves to pick it up. Yes, our competitors had Dover sole—it was frozen."
Soltner was also a mentor. After selling Lutèce in 1994, he spent a decade at the French Culinary Institute in New York, now the International Culinary Center, teaching the next generation. “Chef André Soltner was a brilliant chef who made his restaurant a very special place full of French soul, fine cuisine and warm hospitality,” said chef Daniel Boulud. “His humility and brilliance defined the New York dining scene for decades. His generosity and commitment to his craft touched countless chefs, both young and accomplished. Chef Andre was a mentor, friend and an inspiration to our industry.”
A Childhood in Food
Soltner was born in the small Alsatian town of Thann on Nov. 20, 1932. His father, Ernest, was a cabinetmaker. As a child, Soltner spent time in the kitchen helping his mother, Eugenie, while his older brother apprenticed with his father.
As he told Wine Spectator in 2008, wine was part of life in Alsace. “When [my father] sold furniture, he always traded wine as part of the price,” said Soltner. “When I was little, my father would tell me to bring up a pitcher of Tokay or Sylvaner for dinner, and when I went to the cellar to get the wine, I always had a sip. To me, Alsace wine is the best wine in the world, which is why we had a big Alsatian cellar at Lutèce.”
At 15, Soltner became an apprentice in the kitchen of the Hôtel du Parc in Mulhouse. He earned top scores in his cooking examinations and went on to work at resorts in Normandy and Switzerland. After a stint in the French military’s ski patrol, he moved to Paris and took a job at Chez Hansi, an Alsatian brasserie. He quickly worked his way up the ranks and earned the title of executive chef at age 27.
A Gilded Bistro in the New World
In 1961, André Surmain, a Frenchman living in New York who managed catering services at Idlewild Airport (now John F. Kennedy International), convinced Soltner to leave Paris for New York. Surmain was opening a high-end bistro on 50th Street. Lutèce, an ancient name for Paris, struggled at first. Critics said the food was inconsistent as Soltner found his footing in a place where sourcing fresh ingredients was a challenge.
But something changed when Surmain sold his share to Soltner in 1970 and exited the business. Soltner made the service more personal. His wife, Simone, ran the front of the house, and André came out to chat with patrons each evening. In doing so, he pioneered the idea of a restaurant driven by its chef rather than its owner or general manager. And he figured out how to source what he needed to make his food shine. Soon Lutèce was considered one of the top restaurants in the city, a spot it maintained for decades.
It was a time when Americans were discovering the wonders of French cooking thanks to chefs like Julia Child and Soltner. They were also discovering French wine, another prime focus for him. “I didn't have a big restaurant, so I was in charge of everything,” he told Wine Spectator in 2008. “To really know wine, it takes a long, long time. And it doesn't come from reading a book. You have to taste it.”
Soltner never expanded to other restaurants or cities because he felt he needed to be in his restaurant to keep its quality and standards. “He was the classic example of the chef/restaurateur who never missed one service in his one and only restaurant. When he needed a vacation, he closed the restaurant,” said Danny Meyer, founder of Union Square Hospitality Group. “I wish every young chef knew who he was and how seriously he impacted our profession. He certainly took an interest in teaching the next generation.”
Simone Soltner passed away in 2016. André is survived by his companion, Maryvonne Gasparini, and his sister, Marie Rose Vandevoorde.
—With reporting by Kristen Bieler
