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national news carried the story. He had already moved from the Hay Adams
and was working at the Tavern on the Green at the time.
Born in Brooklyn, Clark entered the kitchen at a young age. His father
was a chef with Restaurant Associates in New York when the company operated
the Four Seasons and La Fonda del Sol. So Clark learned early on how to
play with fine ingredients; by age 17, he had perfected a recipe for cheesecake.
But the master chef was also always quick to credit his mother and her
cooking, with its highly charged flavors and seasonings, for his culinary
prowess. Like his father, Clark trained at New York City Technical College,
but the real turning point in his career came when he was offered the
opportunity to train with Michel Guerard in France. "My first meals
in France were mind-blowing because I didn't realize then what wonders
could be created with fine food and fine, fresh ingredients," Clark
recalled.
Clark returned to New York and soon built a national reputation for his
role in elevating the status of Odeon, Cafe Luxembourg and his own Metro
to two stars in the New York Times Guide to Restaurants. Later, he moved
to Los Angeles to become executive chef of Ristorante Rice. At the Lafayette,
the Hay Adams' dining room, Clark aimed to blend the influences of Asia
and Europe into light but boldly flavored dishes. "I like combining
luxurious foods with wonderful staples," he would say. Disdainful
of being called a rising young African-American chef, Clark wanted to
be known simply as a chef, but regretted the paucity of African-Americans
in his profession at the time. As a result, he was active in the community,
teaching children about cooking and giving motivational speeches. This
outgoing and generous spirit is what everyone remembered most when he
passed away. A tribute book to Chef Patrick Clark was published last year.
It is called Cooking
With Patrick Clark: A Tribute to the Man and His Cuisine
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