There are chefs working now, at restaurants in Utah and around the world, who owe at least a bit of their excellence to Max Mercier.
Mercier, the longtime Salt Lake restaurateur who died at age 70 of cancer last week in his native France, loved passing on all he had learned in a career spent offering his passion for French cooking to Utahns.
"He was just appreciated (and had) a deep heart, a deep concern for others in the industry," said Melva Sine, president and CEO of the Utah Restaurant Association. "He was always wanting to share his experience, his expertise, with others in any way he could."
Mercier's landmark restaurant, Le Parisien, graced the intersection of 400 South and 300 East from opening day in 1970 to Jan. 1, 2001, when the restaurant closed its doors following one last New Year's Eve celebration.
That day was a sad one for scores of Le Parisien loyalists, from the waitress who'd worked there 17 years to the customers who dropped by for daily meals, or who, once a month, drove down from Wyoming for dinner.
"He was great with his customers," Sine said. "He made everyone feel welcome at his restaurant. To this day, we're all sad there's a bank there (now)."
Mercier was the 1991 Professional of the Year of the Beehive Chapter of the American Culinary Federation. In 1985 he received the federation's National President's Award.
He expanded his business beyond the restaurant and adjoining private club, Bistro, with Max Mercier's salad dressings, sold at Le Parisien and at grocery stores in Utah, Arizona, California, Texas, Nevada, New Mexico, Wyoming, Idaho and Montana.
Mercier led several trade groups, and, most importantly, was the devoted parent, with ex-wife, Katie Mercier, of sons Fabrice and Sacha, now grown.
"Everybody loved his restaurant; everybody loved the man," Sine said.
E-mail: skratz@desnews.com