André Soltner, famous chef at Lutèce in New York, dies at 92

André Soltner, a chef whose respect for classic French cuisine and the family specialties of his native Alsace helped make Lutèce, in Midtown Manhattan, one of the most famous restaurants in the United States, died Saturday morning at Charlottesville, Virginia. He was 92 years old. .

His death, in a hospital. was confirmed by attorney Glenn W. Dopf, a close friend.

Mr. Soltner took his place behind the Lutèce stoves on February 16, 1961, the day the restaurant opened, and stayed there for 33 years. As a partner in the restaurant and eventually sole proprietor, he delivered haute cuisine standards in an intimate setting that became an extension of his own personality.

Lutèce was like a golden bistro. Simone, Mr. Soltner’s wife, greeted visitors and processed checks. When he wasn’t working in the kitchen, Mr. Soltner would stop by the dining room tables to chat briefly with customers and help them navigate the menu. The regulars gave him the choice. After the last guests left for the night, the Soltners retired to their fourth-floor apartment above the restaurant on East 50th Street.

At a time when fresh ingredients could be difficult to obtain, Mr Soltner insisted that Dover sole, Scottish salmon and Mediterranean mullet be flown in overnight. He made agreements with farmers to supply him with shallots and chanterelles. Impeccable ingredients, flawless technique and a modern approach to French style put Lutèce in a class of its own and have critics fighting for superlatives.

In 2008, when food critic Gael Greene named the most influential restaurants of the last 40 years in New York, Lutèce topped the list. It “set the benchmark for what a French restaurant in America should be,” she wrote in New York magazine. On a previous occasion, she had written that Mr. Soltner was “the best French chef in New York, the rare fusion of classical training, technical wizardry, dedication and creative enthusiasm.”

Mr. Soltner has always resisted such distinctions. “Basically, I’m a cook,” he told the Nation’s Restaurant News in 1987. “We’re not stars. It’s nice to be recognized, but let’s set the limits.