R.I.P.

Legendary French Chef Paul Bocuse Dead at 91

The “pope of French cuisine” was credited with paving the way for celebrity chefs like Gordon Ramsay and Joel Robuchon.

Paul Bocuse, one of the 20th century’s most influential chefs, has died at the age of 91. Often called the “pope of French cuisine” for his pioneering culinary skills, Bocuse died at Collonges-au-Mont-d’or outside the city of Lyon, where he had his flagship restaurant in eastern France. “French gastronomy loses a mythical figure,” French President Emmanuel Macron said in a statement Saturday. “The chefs cry in their kitchens, at the Elysee (presidential palace) and everywhere in France,” he said. Bocuse suffered from Parkinson’s disease and had undergone a triple heart bypass in 2005. With his culinary empire, Bocuse is credited with paving the way for chefs like Alain Ducasse, Joel Robuchon, and Gordon Ramsay. Bocuse’s restaurant, L’Auberge du Pont de Collonges, has retained three stars in the Michelin guide since 1965.