Thierry Blouet

Thierry Blouet, chef owner of Café des Artistes in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico's Pacific paradise, was--as they say--born to the business. His paternal grandfather, Max Blouet, spent 30 years as General Manager of the ultra-elegant George V in Paris. Chef Blouet was born in Puerto Rico, in 1964, and his French parents educated him in France and Mexico where haute cuisine is an integral ingredient of the good life.

In February 2000, Blouet's twenty year culinary career culminated in the most prestigious of all chef awards. Admitted to the inner circle of the "Maîtres Cuisiniers de France,he is among only 340 French chefs who hold the title that is the highest qualification in the world of gastronomy. His cuisine reflects both his own intuitive ability and a uniquely personal gift: an intense sense of art and beauty.

An extremely visual chef, his dishes are sensual compositions. In addition to colors that enliven the visual, there's a harmony of aromas that tempt the nostrils, subtle textures that excite the mouth feel and concentrated flavors that enhance the taste.

This 21st century Ambassador of French gastronomy (and Assistant Director of Chaine des Rotisseurs in Puerto Vallarta) began his career at the Camino Real Hotel in Ixtapa, in 1983. Later, at the Camino Real in Mexico City, he was promoted to Chef de Partie at the prestigious Le Fouquet's de Paris.

As part of the brigade, he has cooked in some of the most prestigious kitchens in the world. At Le Moulin de Mougins, near Cannes, France, he worked with the famed Chef Roger Verger. In Paris, he worked at L'Amandier and, in Chicago, at the Ritz Carlton.

By 1987, his was offered the position of Executive Chef at La Perla in Puerto Vallarta. While there, he competed and won two prestigious national titles as Chef of the Year (1988 and 1989). Then, in December 1990, with two partners, he created Café des Artistes, a gastronomic restaurant within a magnificent, multi-storied, flower-bedecked Spanish Colonial mansion in picturesque Old Vallarta.

By 1994, he became the sole owner of a restaurant where diners discovered gastronomic elegance within an authentic ambiance. In 2003, he introduced new concepts to Café Des Artistes. He enlivens the atmosphere of the Costantini Bar, with a tapas menu and live music. The traditional Café des Artistes serves an a la carte bistro menu in the 212 seat restaurant. The new Thierry Blouet Cocina de Autor, an intimate 40 seat venue, includes a demonstration kitchen. There, at one seating each evening, he serves a prix-fixe chef's signature wine-pairing menu. For after dinner entertainment, he has converted another dimly lit space into a private Cognac and Cigar Room with a piano bar.

At Café des Artistes, Blouet trains and challenges a new generation of chefs. In the last 10 years, his chefs and ex-chefs have participated in the most important national competitions and always finish in the very top ranks.

In addition to his own business, Blouet, who is also a member of the Académie Culinaire de France, brings together chefs from France, Mexico, Canada and the United States to share and enrich their cooking techniques while maintaining traditionally high standards. He also devotes himself to promoting important cultural and "foodie" fiestas in Puerto Vallarta and Mexico.

One of his major interests is the Puerto Vallarta Gourmet Festival which takes place each November. Chef Blouet, President and Founder of the festival, and Co-Founder Chef Heinz Reize, stage the event to showcase Puerto Vallarta as one of Mexico's outstanding culinary destinations. This ten day series of epicurean feasts features at least 20 star chefs from world class kitchens. They present signature menus and teach cooking classes and representatives of well-regarded wineries conduct wine tastings. This is a rare chance for local cooks to perfect their craft by working with and learning from more famous ones, without leaving Vallarta.