Patrice Olivon was born in Casablanca, Morocco and raised in Provence, located in the South of France, where the emphasis on cooking is on the utilization of the freshest local ingredients. Provence has produced some of the most notable and renowned chefs in the world. Patrice studied cooking at the culinary college in Marseille as a full time student and, as a young man, received recognition during his military service as Chief Cook at the Officer’s Club of Briancon, later accept a position with chef Jacques Maximin at the famous Hotel Negresco in Nice. But Patrice’s talents as a chef were not truly recognized until he relocated to Washington, DC in1979 where he achieved success and renown at such notable establishments as the Maison Blanche restaurant, The Morrison House Hotel in Old Town Alexandria and The Embassy of France. In 1993 Patrice joined the ranks of the country’s best chefs who are called upon by The White House to provide exceptional cuisine for the First Family’s guests. This led Patrice Olivon to receive a decoration of honor from the Ordre National du Merite in 2001 for his role in keeping alive the flavors and traditions of France in the United States.