Ludo Lefebvre facts for kids

Ludovic Lefebvre (born in 1971) is a famous French chef and restaurant owner. He is known for his exciting cooking style and has opened many popular restaurants in Los Angeles, California.

Becoming a Chef

Early Life and Cooking Start

Ludo Lefebvre was born in Auxerre, a beautiful region in France called Burgundy. He grew up in a town nearby called Charbuy. His love for cooking started when he was a kid, helping out in his grandmother's kitchen. When he was a young teenager, he even worked at a local restaurant called Maxime, doing small jobs to help out.

Learning from the Best Chefs

Ludo began his official cooking training at just 14 years old. He worked at a restaurant called L’Esperance in Vézelay, learning from a great chef named Marc Meneau for three years. After that, he trained with other famous chefs. He worked with Pierre Gagnaire at his restaurant in Saint-Étienne. Then, he learned from Alain Passard at L'Arpège, and Guy Martin at Le Grand Vefour. These experiences helped him become the amazing chef he is today.

Ludo's Restaurant Adventures

Moving to Los Angeles

In 1996, Ludo Lefebvre moved all the way to Los Angeles, California. He started working at a restaurant called L'Orangerie. Later, in 2004, he moved to another restaurant named Bastide.

Pop-Up Restaurants and Food Trucks

Ludo became famous for creating something called "pop-up restaurants." These are temporary restaurants that open for a short time in different places. He called his pop-ups LudoBites. In 2010, he even opened a food truck called LudoTruc, which sold delicious fried chicken.

In October 2013, Ludo opened a permanent restaurant called LudoBird inside the STAPLES Center. This was a big step for his fried chicken business! In March 2016, a second LudoBird location opened at City Walk, which is part of Universal Studios Hollywood.

Award-Winning Restaurants

In 2013, Ludo Lefebvre teamed up with chefs Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo to open a restaurant called Trois Mec. This restaurant earned a special Michelin star, which is a very high honor in the food world. It was also named one of the best new restaurants by Esquire and GQ magazines. One of its dishes, Grilled Baby Corn with Black Garlic, was even called one of the best restaurant dishes of 2013 by Food & Wine magazine.

In 2014, Ludo opened another restaurant right next to Trois Mec, called Petit Trois. This restaurant had a classic French bistro style. Petit Trois was recognized as a finalist for the James Beard Award for Best New Restaurant in 2015.

Ludo on Television

Ludo Lefebvre has appeared on many cooking shows, sharing his skills with a wider audience.

• In 2006, he competed on Iron Chef America.
• From 2009, he was on the first two seasons of Top Chef Masters.
• He has been a guest judge on Hell's Kitchen in 2010 and 2020.
• In 2011, he and his wife, Kristine, starred in their own show called Ludo Bites America on the Sundance Channel. In this show, they traveled to different cities to open pop-up restaurants.
• In 2013, Ludo was a judge and mentor on the ABC cooking show The Taste.
• He hosted Season 5 of Mind of a Chef in 2016.
• In 2020, he was a guest chef on the first episode of Selena Gomez's cooking series, Selena + Chef.
• In 2022, he co-hosted a cooking competition show called Rat in the Kitchen on TBS with Natasha Leggero.

Books by Ludo Lefebvre

Ludo Lefebvre has also written books about his cooking and experiences:

• Crave: The Feast of the Five Senses (published in 2005)
• LudoBites: Recipes and Stories from the Pop-Up Restaurants of Ludo Lefebvre (published in 2012)

Personal Life

Ludo Lefebvre is married to Kristine. They live in Sherman Oaks, California, with their children.

Awards and Honors

Ludo Lefebvre has received special recognition for his contributions to the culinary world:

• In 2015, he was given the title of Chevalier of the Order of Arts and Letters. This is a high honor from the French government for people who have made important contributions to arts and literature.
• Relais & Châteaux, a famous group of luxury hotels and restaurants, named him one of the World's 50 Greatest Chefs.