Archived Article By Tom Fitzmorris Originally published Sept. 12, 2007 Rene Bajeux Becomes Chef, Partner At La Provence Things are moving fast at La Provence--probably faster than John Besh, who bought the restaurant early this year, figured. The first thing that happened was the death of Chris Kerageorgiou, the founder of La Provence and Besh's mentor. Everybody figured that Chris would be hanging around the restaurant for a long time to come, blessing it with his infectious spirit. Then Besh found that, when he closed the place in the spring to do a few repairs, more than a few needed to be done. When the restaurant reopened, it was a little off its standards--as any reasonable person would expect it to be. However, this was John Besh, the city's most lionized young chef, who was expected to walk on water. Never mind that he was opening another brand-new restaurant downtown (Luke) at the time. Let's just say that Besh's La Provence was not really mature. Until a couple of weeks ago. When something really good happened. Rene Bajeux, who has been at rather loose ends since the hurricane, has accepted not only the chef's job at La Provence, but also a partnership in the business. It's a perfect match. Chef Rene, born in Lorraine, one of only fifty maitre cuisiniers in America (a high honor, bestowed by a venerable chef's organization in his homeland of France), came to New Orleans as chef of the Windsor Court Hotel and its then-five-star Grill Room. He was fresh from the five-star Four Seasons in Beverly Hills, and that will be quite enough resume items now. Rene left tie Windsor Court to open his own restaurant, Rene Bistrot, in the Renaissance Pere Marquette Hotel. It was a delightful place, full of the country-French cooking that Rene loves enough to do in his sleep. The storm messed that place up. He kept changing his mind as to whether to stay or leave, ultimately staying. In the meantime, he lost over a hundred pounds. Quite a time for Rene. Fast forward. He and John Besh got together. La Provence, whose menus has always focused on exactly the kind of home-style French cooking that Chef Rene loves, was clearly the kind of restaurant for him. Especially with herbs and vegetables growing in the back yard, along with the chickens laying yard eggs back there, the pigs, and all the rest of it. Rene says that he's a farm boy (really). Somebody in the Besh's PR department (probably my friend Simone Rathle, who also is a Windsor Court alumna, to continue the tradition of New Orleans over-connectedness) put a name on all this: "terroir cooking." Meaning cooking that expresses what the land gives. Okay. All right. What I am sure of is that this will be delicious grub coming from one of the most pleasant restaurants anywhere in the New Orleans area. If I can't give this place five stars within the next six months, I will wonder why. La Provence. 25020 US 190. 985-626-7662. © 2007 Tom Fitzmorris. All rights reserved. news@nomenu.com