05/18/2026
Thank you for the love of cooking, hardworking and caring grandpa, I’m forever inspired and looking to perdure your culinary legacy ! Don’t go annoy grandma too much up there ! 🕊️
There are people in life who leave behind more than memories.
They leave behind a way of doing things, a passion, a spirit that keeps living through the people they touched.
My grandpa, Clovis, was one of those people.
From the very beginning, there was a special connection between us. We shared the same birthday — June 13th — and growing up, I always felt like that meant something deeper. Even more, Clovis is my middle name, something I now carry with even greater pride.
He was an incredible chef and pastry chef, gifted not only with talent, but with his hands. He could create beauty out of anything. I still remember him sculpting flowers out of marzipan, or turning a simple potato into shoes, flowers, or little works of art. Toward the end of dinner, he would look at me and say, “Tony, go grab me a potato.” I already knew what that meant — he was about to teach me something again.
Cooking was never just food to him. It was love.
The way he expressed himself was through hard work, through creating, through watching the expression on your face when you tasted or admired something he made. That reaction meant everything to him.
In Port-Cros, near my hometown of Hyères in France, he owned a restaurant that reflected who he was: passionate, original, and larger than life. He even did an underwater photoshoot cooking beneath the sea to promote the restaurant — something so uniquely him, blending creativity, boldness, and his endless love for his craft.
During his retirement years, his artistry never stopped. He continued creating beautiful desserts and cakes, always sharing his passion with others. He taught me how to make my very first croquembouche, a memory I will carry forever.
He was, and still is, one of my greatest inspirations.
He taught me the value of working hard, striving to create something meaningful, and inspiring others through passion and dedication. In so many ways, the person I am becoming is rooted in the example he gave me.
Thank you, Grandpa, for everything you passed down to me — not only recipes or techniques, but a way of loving through creation, discipline, and generosity.
You inspired people your whole life, and you will continue to inspire me for the rest of mine.