Culinary ConsultantAntoine Westermann is one of the world's most admired and celebrated chefs, having earned three Michelin stars at his Strasbourg’s restaurant, Le Buerehiesel, as well as considerable acclaim for both Mon Vieil Ami and Drouant in Paris. Born in Wissembourg, Alsace, Westermann had a strong desire to cook from a young age. His parents, however, did not wish for their son to endure the hardships of a chef’s life, and thus discouraged him from pursuing a career in the culinary arts.

Despite their words of warning, at the age of 14, Westermann became a trainee cook at the Strasbourg railway station coffee shop, the place he credits for learning the culinary basics. Soon, he moved to Paris, where he cooked in several restaurants and even completed a yearlong stint in a foie gras factory, before returning to his native Alsace to open his first restaurant, Le Buerehiesel. The historic 17th century mansion, in which the restaurant resides, was refurbished by Westermann in 1970, melding old world sensibility with modern touches in the same way that Westermann works with haute cuisine.

Michelin awarded Westermann his first star six years after opening Buerehiesel, and his second star 10 years after that; Westermann earned his third and final Michelin star for his work in the kitchen at Le Buerehiesel, a rare honor, in 1993.

Westermann went on to expand his restaurant offerings, adding two sandwich bars in Strasbourg, and opening Mon Vieil Ami, his famed Paris restaurant on the Ile Saint Louis, in 2003. Westermann also tackled Franco-Portuguese cooking at his restaurant in the Relais & Chateaux Fortaleza C Guincho in Cascais, Portugal, and, in 2006, revisited appetizers “à la française” at his modern Parisian Brasserie, Drouant, in Paris.

Currently in a new phase of his career, Westermann has chosen to devote his expertise and creativity to the search and the development of new culinary tendencies. Having relinquished his three Michelin stars, and turned over Le Buerehiesel to the capable hands of his son, Eric, Westermann oversees the kitchens at Druant, Fortaleza C Guincho and Mon Vieil Ami, and invests his time in the young chefs with whom he works on all of his projects.

Most recently, Westermann has been serving as the culinary consultant to Café du Parc, imparting his vision of a contemporary French bistro to the Washington, D.C. restaurant. In this role, Westermann has advised on every aspect of Café du Parc, including concept and menu development, culinary and staff training, and service execution. Westermann plans to visit the restaurant frequently in order to continually oversee this project.

In addition to winning numerous culinary awards, Westermann is president of the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Cuisine Française, the premier culinary organization that includes 80 of the finest chefs in haute cuisine. He cooks with the freshest possible products, including the white Alsatian wines for which his region is famous, supplies his kitchens with the very finest quality ingredients, and has always loved slow-cooked recipes. "Grandmother's cooking," as he likes to call it, are the convivial dishes that he still uses to surprise guests with something new.