Marcel Desaulniers (August 2, 1945 - May 28, 2024) was an American

chef A chef is a professional Cook (profession), cook and tradesperson who is proficient in all aspects of outline of food preparation, food preparation, often focusing on a particular cuisine. The word "chef" is derived from the term (), the di ...

who was part-owner of the Trellis Restaurant in

Williamsburg, Virginia Williamsburg is an Independent city (United States), independent city in Virginia, United States. It had a population of 15,425 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Located on the Virginia Peninsula, Williamsburg is in the northern par ...

, a cookbook author, director

Emeritus ''Emeritus/Emerita'' () is an honorary title granted to someone who retires from a position of distinction, most commonly an academic faculty position, but is allowed to continue using the previous title, as in "professor emeritus". In some c ...

of the

Culinary Institute of America The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) is a private culinary school with its main campus in Hyde Park, New York, and branch campuses in St. Helena and Napa, California; San Antonio, Texas; and Singapore. The college, which was the first to ...

, and self-described "Guru of

Ganache Ganache ( or ; ) is a glaze, icing, sauce, or filling for pastries, made from chocolate and cream. In the broad sense of the term, ganache is an emulsion between (melted) solid chocolate (which is made with cocoa butter, the fat phase) and ...

". He is the author of the 1992 book '' Death by Chocolate''.

Personal life

Desaulniers was born in

Woonsocket, Rhode Island Woonsocket ( ), is a city in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 43,240 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, making it the sixth largest city in the state. Being Rhode Island's northernmost city, Woonsoc ...

, and resided in Williamsburg with his wife, Connie, who is an artist. He graduated from Mount Saint Charles Academy in 1963, and from the Culinary Institute of America in 1965. He served in the

United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines or simply the Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for conducting expeditionar ...

and is a Vietnam veteran. His daughter, Danielle Desaulniers, is a respected sommelier and restaurant consultant who also trained at the Culinary Institute of America. She has worked at

San Francisco San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...

's One Market Restaurant and at

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

's Restaurant Daniel, Café Boulud, Ducasse, and Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steak House.

Professional life

Restaurant

In 1980 Desaulniers opened the Trellis Restaurant in colonial Williamsburg's Merchants Square. Desaulniers also opened a food and art studio in Williamsburg called ''Ganache Hill''. Desaulniers and his business partner, John Curtis, sold The Trellis to chef David Everett, proprietor of the Blue Talon Bistro, also located in the Square, after 29 years of operation. The restaurant was inducted into the Nation's Restaurant News Fine Dining Hall of Fame in 1995. Desaulniers and his wife opened a new business, MAD about Chocolate, on April 24, 2012 (www.madaboutchocolate.us). MAD about Chocolate offered Desaulniers' sumptuous desserts, cookies, cakes, ice cream, and other sweet and savory items. It was located at 204 Armistead Ave. in Williamsburg, VA. MAD about Chocolate also served as a gallery for Connie Desaulniers' art. The couple sold the business in February 2016.

Television

He hosted several television cooking shows including "The Burgermeister" and "Death by Chocolate" and has appeared on

Julia Child Julia Carolyn Child (Birth name#Maiden and married names, née McWilliams; August 15, 1912 – August 13, 2004) was an American chef, author, and television personality. She is recognized for having brought French cuisine to the American pu ...

's television show,

Baking with Julia ''Baking with Julia'' is an American television cooking program produced by Julia Child and the name of the book which accompanied the series. Each episode featured one pastry chef or baker who demonstrates professional techniques that can be per ...

and on

PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educat ...

' cooking shows ''Cook-off America'' and ''Grilling Maestros''.

Cookbooks

Desaulniers wrote 10 cooking books including ''Death by Chocolate'' (1992). His concentration on

chocolate Chocolate is a food made from roasted and ground cocoa beans that can be a liquid, solid, or paste, either by itself or to flavoring, flavor other foods. Cocoa beans are the processed seeds of the cacao tree (''Theobroma cacao''); unprocesse ...

cuisine and his fondness for chocolate ganache earned him the sobriquet of "Guru of Ganache."

Awards and honors

* Ivy Award: The Trellis, '' Restaurants and Institutions Magazine'', 1989 * Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic,

James Beard Foundation The James Beard Foundation is an American non-profit culinary arts organization based in New York City. It was named after James Beard, a food writer, teacher, and cookbook author. Its programs include guest-chef dinners to scholarships for asp ...

, 1993 * Best Pastry Chef: Mid-Atlantic

* Best Dessert Book,

, 1993 * Best Single Subject Cookbook: The Burger Meisters,

, 1995 * Lifetime Achievement Award,

, 1996 * Outstanding Pasty Chef,

, 1999 * Honor Roll of American Chefs, ''

Food & Wine Magazine ''Food & Wine'' is an American monthly magazine published by Dotdash Meredith. It was founded in 1978 by Ariane and Michael Batterberry. It features recipes, cooking tips, travel information, restaurant, restaurant reviews, chefs, wine, wine pa ...

Bibliography

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Notes

External links

Global Gourmet - Marcel Desaulniers

The Trellis, Williamsburg, VA

Interview with Marcel Desaulniers

Culinary Institute of America - Alumni Spotlight
{{DEFAULTSORT:Desaulniers, Marcel 1945 births Living people American food writers American restaurateurs American television chefs American chefs Culinary Institute of America Hyde Park alumni Culinary Institute of America people People from Williamsburg, Virginia James Beard Foundation Award winners Chefs from Rhode Island