Chef Quenioux

LAURENT QUENIOUX
Owner/Executive Chef
Bistro LQ

Growing up in Sologne, France, Bistro LQ Owner/Executive Chef Laurent Quenioux developed his love of game and wild strawberries with his parents: he would hunt duck, partridge, rabbit and hare with his father, and practice cooking his mother's recipes at home in the kitchen. When he completed his education, he entered into an apprenticeship in the South of France where, according to Laurent, "everything is about fat duck, goose liver and foie gras."

After working and honing his skills in some of the finest kitchens in France, Laurent moved to the United States with a team from L'Oasis at La Napoule to open The Regency Club in Los Angeles. In 1985, he introduced the celebrated and award-winning 7th Street Bistro in downtown Los Angeles, serving groundbreaking French Nouvelle California cuisine and becoming a favorite spot for the mayor and Hollywood celebrities. Subway construction led to the closing of the 7th Street Bistro after a decade, and Laurent spent the late 1990s as Food and Beverage Director/Executive Chef for Dodgers Stadium.

In the early 2000s, he returned to his restaurant roots with the debut of the cozy Bistro K in Pasadena, earning accolades for his originality and precision with a revolutionary menu designed to open the senses and minds of his guests to new possibilities, tastes and textures. With the opening of Bistro LQ in July 2009, Laurent brings his edgy style and ingenuity to a larger, more central location in Los Angeles near West Hollywood. With a bigger kitchen and more diverse dining area, he promises to stay ahead of the curve and continue setting new standards for cuisine in Southern California with a Farmer's Market-driven kitchen and an emphasis on value and fun.

Chef Marcel Vigneron

Entrepreneurial
Gastronomist

Born on Bainbridge Island, Washington, Chef Marcel Vigneron is best known for finishing second place in Season Two of Bravo’s hit reality series, Top Chef.  The 29 year-old Marcel Vigneron is first and foremost a “cook” – the kind of guy who talks to his food for inspiration and believes that cooking is one of the most beautiful careers that can be chosen, which is why he is so passionately driven to pursue his craft.  He’s a chef who has an affinity for culinary knowledge, who uses a knife as an extension of his hand, the kitchen as a lab, the earth as a grocery store, the tasting menu as his bio, the restaurant as his creative arena, and the plate as a porcelain canvas in which to display his art.

Marcel attended the acclaimed Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in New York and achieved his Associate’s degree in Culinary Arts, as well as a Bachelors Degree in Hospitality Management. At the CIA, Marcel enrolled in the teaching assistant program where he served as the Sous Chef to Dwayne Lipuma at the school’s award-winning Ristorante Caterina de’ Medici. Since then, he has continued to pursue the progression of gastronomy and has gone on to work for various world-renowned chefs, including Joel Robuchon (named "Chef of the Century" by the Gault Millau) and Michael Mina (awarded “Best Chef of 2002” by the James Beard Foundation during the time of Marcel’s employment.) Marcel has also spent time in Barcelona, Spain, where he took classes at El Taller with famed Chef Ferran Adrià of El Bulli restaurant, which was named the top restaurant in the world in 2007 by Restaurant magazine. Marcel was most recently the Executive Sous Chef of The Bazaar by Jose Andres at the SLS Hotel in Beverly Hills.

It’s true that Marcel spends time conducting experiments and researching kitchen chemistry, but he truly feels that in order to become a great chef one must know much more about food than just science. Marcel’s avant-garde cuisine follows four simple culinary philosophies: respect for tradition, embracement of innovation, evocation of evolution, and the pursuit of excellence through integrity

Marcel has traveled and cooked throughout Europe, the Caribbean, and the United States in search of both gastronomic experience and world knowledge. He is a dedicated chef who lives to express his creativity, personality, and passion through his own personal style of cuisine.

As the Executive Chef at Bar210 in Beverly Hills, Marcel’s has created his own Modern Global Cuisine. The majority of the menu items are small plates meant for sharing such as: Tiger Prawn Ravioli, Pork Belly Sliders, and Mushroom Tart. As a mixologist, Marcel has fashioned an innovative cocktail list using the freshest ingredients; with an extensive wine and microbrew list as well a custom flight program to pair with the delicious bites.

Mark Gold

Mark Gold’s energy, passion, and enthusiasm for his craft is contagious.  Ask Mark to describe how he feels about what he does and he will tell you, “I put my heart into my cooking, I put my love into my cooking.”  And if you have ever had the experience of dining with him, you know this to be true.

eva is named for Mark’s grandmother.  Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Eva became Mark’s inspiration for becoming a great cook – not so much because she was one, but, mostly, the opposite.  “She used to make spaghetti sauce with ketchup,” Mark will tell you of his grandmother.  “I hated it, but she cooked with what was available to her, and she did it with such love and care that it made me want to do the same……just better,” he says, laughing his bold, contagious laugh.

At 7, Mark had created his aforementioned “Bagel Burgers,” and by 17, he’d worked at Cutters in Santa Monica making pasta, and as a bus boy at Geoffrey’s in Malibu.  After graduating from high school, Mark made his way into Trump’s by knocking on the kitchen door and impressing Michael Roberts with his energy and enthusiasm.  The experience of working in one of L.A.’s finest and most innovative restaurants at the time, convinced Mark Gold that not just cooking, but creating a memorable experience for diners was what he wanted to do. 

So Mark left for the New England Culinary Institute in Vermont, where he spent the next 2 years learning and perfecting his craft.  Upon his return to Los Angles in 1989, Mark was hired at Patina Restaurant, working with such notable chefs as Joachim Splichal, Octavio Beccerra, and Traci de Jardins.  Mark used his experience at Patina to land a position at Bistro Roti in San Francisco, the flagship restaurant of the Real Restaurant Group.

When Mark returned to Los Angeles, he accepted the position of Executive Sous Chef at the Water Grill in downtown L.A., working alongside Michael Cimmarusti, and positioning the restaurant as one of the top in the city.  This was Mark’s introduction to restaurant management, and working alongside Michael Cimmarusti brought seafood, and its preparation to forefront of Mark’s culinary experience.  It was also here that Mark learned the finer points of operating a high-volume, fine dining restaurant.

 After having spent five years at the Water Grill, Mark was hired by Joachim Splichal to head up Café Pinot, in downtown Los Angeles, as their Executive Chef, and take it to the next level of dining and profitability.  During Mark Gold’s 5 years there, Café Pinot was transformed from a theater restaurant to a destination restaurant.  The fact that the restaurant became not only critically acclaimed, but one of the highest grossing restaurants in the Patina Group, earned Mark Patina Group’s Chef of the Year award in 2005.

At the request of Joachim Splichal, Mark returned to the Patina Group, after a short time away, to help open Café Rouge in Orange County.   His impressive menu and cooking at Café Rouge earned him a coveted three stars from Irene Virbilia in the Los Angeles Times food section.

Philippe Chow

Philippe is the eponymous restaurant of Chef/Owner Philippe Chow, the talented Hong Kong native. Philippe draws upon his classical culinary training, putting his own spin on traditional Chinese cuisine with results that are modern, flavorful and theatrical. The atmosphere at the restaurant is minimalist and stylish, with a devoted nightly following that makes up a virtual “who’s who” of the music, media and film industries.

Philippe has expanded into its second restaurant in Mexico City in November 2006. A 9,000-square-foot restaurant seating up to 350 guests. Features include an Outdoor Lounge, a Cascading Waterfall, a Mezzanine overlooking the First Floor Dining Room, and a Private Wine Cellar. The restaurant is situated in an upscale corporate office building hosting some of the most prominent companies in Mexico.

Philippe’s third restaurant opened in Miami, Florida at the Gansevoort South Hotel i. The restaurant is located inside of the hotel right on the corner of Collins Avenue and 23rd Street. Architect Charles Benson and Stratis Morfogen our CEO, designed the 9,000-Square-Foot restaurant that has approximately 400 seats. The restaurant also features an open-air viewable kitchen from the second floor of the restaurant. Guests will be able to look down from their tables and watch their meals be prepared.


Philippe Chow is proud to announce a home during the summer in East Hampton. After many years of consideration, Philippe opened at 44 Three Mile Harbor Road, which formerly housed the The Kobe Club. In addition to the East Hampton location, catering from Philippe will be available throughout the East End, with Philippe Chow himself.

Philippe's newest venture is Philippe Los Angeles, offering guests and visitors a modern twist to Asian and traditional Chinese cuisine. Philippe Los Angeles features each of Philippe Chow’s inimitable classics, including Green Prawns, Chicken/Shrimp Satay, Crispy Beef and Peking Duck. All of which have been winning rave reviews from the New York flagship’s celebrity clientele since its opening in 2005.