Chef Vincent Horville
Chef Vincent Horville is from Versailles, France. He grew up in the restaurant business and helped out in the kitchen from an early age. Trained in classical and modern cooking, Chef Horville received his first award as one of France’s Best Apprentices in 1982. His passion for cooking has taken him to two continents, four countries and some prestigious properties, including the famed Noga Hilton and the New Sporting Club (both in Geneva, Switzerland) and the Dorchester Hotel in London, where he worked under Master Chef Anton Mosimann.
Chef Horville moved to the United States in 1988 and has since worked in a number of prestigious restaurants and institutions. He is currently the Executive Chef of The Metropolitan Club of the City of Washington, D.C., where he has worked with Assistant General Manager/Food & Beverage Michael Redmond (a 2009 Chef to Chef Conference presenter). The approaches that Chef Horville has used to bring significant change that has drawn favorable response from the membership and guests of one of the oldest and most valued private institutions in our nation’s capital (the Metro Club was founded in 1863) were highlighted in a “Chef to Chef” interview (“Winning Their Votes”) in the July 2009 issue of Club & Resort Business.
Prior to joining The Metropolitan Club in 2006, Chef Horville was Executive Chef of two properties operated by the City Clubs of Washington, D.C. Before moving to private clubs, his experience in the nation’s capital included being a consulting Production Manager for the city’s Convention Center; serving as Executive Chef at the International Monetary Fund/World Bank complex; Executive Sous Chef at the National Gallery of Art; Chef/Sous Chet at Le Rivage restaurant, an upscale seafood bistro; and Chef De Partie at Four Ways restaurant.
Holding certifications in French Classical and Modern Chef disciplines and having studied at two technical colleges in France (Santos Dumont and Du Breuil), Chef Horville has also worked on several occasions as an on-call chef for state dinners and other functions held at both the White House and Camp David. He has also been a participant in James Beard Foundation fundraising dinners and participated in an “Iron Chef” battle in 2006. He has also been an organizer and speaker for Campus on the Mall seminars held by the Smithsonian Institute. He was a finalist in the Chaine des Rotisseur competition held in England in 1987 and also participated in various European team competitions during the 1980s.
Throughout his career, Chef Horville’s food philosophy has been built around four basic principles:
- Hone your culinary fundamentals
- Never stop learning and educating others
- Always work with the best seasonal ingredients available, using good techniques
- Only associates with people who share the same core values
Following these steps, he says, will always make for a successful recipe.
