Carl and Jean-Pierre, both Louisiana natives, met while working at Commander’s Palace under Chef Tory McPhail. Jean-Pierre worked with Daniel Boulud in New York and at the Auberge du Soleil in Napa Valley after graduating from the Culinary Institute of America. Carl, a self-taught chef, helped open Fire in New Orleans’ Lower Garden District and worked at a resort in Grayton Beach, Florida, before joining Commander’s Palace as a sous chef. He went on to become the executive chef at its sister restaurant Café Adelaide, where he worked until opening Bacobar.
While Carl was at Café Adelaide, he was diagnosed with cancer. After he went into remission, he had a creative resurgence and realized the time was right to go out on his own. He and Jean-Pierre had talked about opening a place together, and although both chefs have extensive fine-dining experience, they decided to do something unexpected.
