SEATTLE — Thierry Rautureau, known worldwide as the Chef in Hat, has died at the age of 64.
Rautureau was the co-host of "Seattle Kitchen" with chef Tom Douglas on KIRO 97.3 FM from 2003 to present, with a break from 2010-2012.
"I think we're going to miss him on the radio with Tom because that's been huge to bring him and food to the forefront of the city," said Todd Biesold, the vice president of Merlino Foods, one of the vendors to Rautureau's restaurants.
In a social media statement from Douglas, he wrote of his friend's "generous soul" and "curious mind," noting memories of their decades hosting weekly radio together emphasizing they had "an obvious love of our chosen line of work and each other."
Douglas further wrote, "In his final months, toting an oxygen machine on his back, hoping for his opportunity of finding a lung donor while recognizing the reality of why it was available, Thierry’s ebullient personality belied any concern that this was a short term solution for him. His confidence in the process was contagious. We were all on board and if not for chance, certainly not his resolve, things could have turned out differently."
Rautureau is from the town of Saint Hilaire de Loulay in France and was born to parents who were both farmers.
He did his apprenticeship in Anjou, France at the age of 14 and moved to the United States at the age of 20 after six years of traditional French training. In 1987, he became the executive chef and owner of Rover's Restaurant. He won the James Beard Award for Best Chef in the Pacific Northwest in 1998.
His nickname, the Chef in the Hat, originated from a gift from his wife, Kathleen Encell-Rautureau, who gave him a fedora for Christmas. When he went to speak in the Rover's dining room to a customer, the guest said, “Look, it’s the Chef in the Hat!" and he became known by the nickname.
"You say Chef in a Hat, anybody that's been around here for five or ten years you know who they're talking about," said Biesold.
His restaurant Rover's closed in 2013 and opened to host pop-ups four times a year.
In 2010, he opened the French cafe Luc in Madison Park, named after his father, and Loulay Kitchen & Bar in 2012 downtown. Both closed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
"I think it's a big loss. He brought innovation…There were other French restaurants or French style but he had his own flare," said Biesold about Rautureau's legacy and his restaurants.
In 2016, he was also featured in the KING 5 Evening series, Where the Chefs Eat, and spoke about his love for Seattle's food scene.
Rautureau was also known for his community service, serving on the Board of Directors for Food Lifeline, Visit Seattle and L'Alliance Francaise.
Biesold says the "Chef in the Hat" will remain iconic and never forgotten, "In the names of chefs, he's gotta be up in the top five. Because he did bring a lot of innovation to the city."
"He had a lot of life, he had a lot of zest for life and was just a good all-around guy."