Patrick Dean Clark (March 17, 1955 – February 11, 1998) was an American chef. He won the 1994 James Beard Foundation award for "Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic Region" during his tenure at the Hay-Adams Hotel, Washington, D.C. and also competed in the 1997 Iron Chef. Clark is credited with having been the first chef in New York City to mix fine-dining and bistro at The Odeon in Tribeca, as well as also having been one of the first American chefs to apply French technique to growing American regional cuisine in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

Early life

Clark was born in Brooklyn, New York City, the son of Melvin, also a chef, and Idella. He was raised in

Canarsie Canarsie ( ) is a mostly residential neighborhood in the southeastern portion of Brooklyn, New York City. Canarsie is bordered on the east by Fresh Creek Basin and East 108th Street; on the north by Linden Boulevard; on the west by Ralph Aven ...

, a residential neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York. He trained and worked in Britain and France, notably with three-star chef Michel Guérard.

Career

In 1988, he opened his own restaurant, Metro, on the Upper East Side. It closed in 1990 and he went to work at Bice in Beverly Hills. He soon returned to the east coast, taking over the kitchen at the Hay–Adams Hotel. In 1995, he returned to New York City to become Executive chef at Tavern on the Green. He has been hailed as "one of the greatest American culinary stars of the last half-century" Chef

Anthony Bourdain Anthony Michael Bourdain (; June 25, 1956 – June 8, 2018) was an American celebrity chef, author, and travel documentarian who starred in programs focusing on the exploration of international culture, cuisine, and the human condition. Bourdai ...

describes the impression he made: "Patrick for sure impressed the hell out of us. He was kind of famous; he was big and black; most importantly he was ''American'', not some cheese-eating, surrender specialist Froggie. Patrick Clark, whether he would have appreciated it or not, was our home-town hero, our Joe DiMaggio – a shining example that ''it could be done''."

Personal life

In 1979, he married Lynette. The couple had five children: two sons, Preston and Cameron, and three daughters, Aleia, Ashley, and Brooke. Preston is also an award-winning chef. At the time of his death, he and his family were living in Plainsboro, New Jersey.

Death

Clark died of

amyloidosis Amyloidosis is a group of diseases in which abnormal proteins, known as amyloid fibrils, build up in tissue. There are several non-specific and vague signs and symptoms associated with amyloidosis. These include fatigue, peripheral edema, weight ...

, a rare blood disease, on February 11, 1998, at the Princeton Medical Center in Princeton, New Jersey. He was 42. His wife and their five children survived him.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Clark, Patrick 1955 births 1998 deaths African-American chefs American male chefs American restaurateurs People from Canarsie, Brooklyn People from Princeton, New Jersey 20th-century American businesspeople James Beard Foundation Award winners Iron Chef contestants Chefs from New York City Chefs from New Jersey Chefs from Washington, D.C. 20th-century African-American people Deaths from amyloidosis