Green Pastures
Raised on a small family farm and winery near Sion, Switzerland on the northern Italian border, Claude Solliard experienced a classic gastronomic upbringing—picking fresh cèpes and chanterelles in the dark of early morning and then milking the cows and tending to the demands of operating a winery.
Early on, it became clear to the young Solliard that cooking would be his life's work. What with Italy to the south, France to the east, and Germany and Austria to the north and west respectively, a gastronomic undertaking would be easy to achieve. And so, at the canonical age of 16, Solliard left the farm to work at various French restaurants all across Switzerland. His training began at Restaurant Le Chalet in Valais, Switzerland. From there, he ventured to Hotel Vieux Stand, Apparthotel Rosablanche, and finally to Restaurant du Soleil.
From Switzerland to The Big Apple
At 22, Solliard jumped to an opportunity to stretch his young wings across the Atlantic, landing in Long Island at Berclaz and La Réserve in New York City. New York's food connoisseurs appreciated Solliard's philosophy—food should be left largely untouched and pure. But while French cooking was in Solliard's heart, Italian cookery remained an untapped attraction for him.
It was at New York's San Domenico restaurant that Solliard first satiated his desire to try his hand at Italian cooking. Almost immediately he was offered a position in San Domenico's kitchen. At the same time, Gray Kunz offered him a job at the famed Lespinasse in the St. Regis Hotel. Instead of choosing one over the other, Solliard worked both jobs—Lespinasse mornings, San Domenico evenings. And, he still managed to squeeze in an apprenticeship at Le Cirque under Jacques Torres who was then the executive pastry chef. It was at Le Cirque where Solliard learned the intricacies of chocolate and pastry.
For the next several years, Chef Solliard continued his NYC gastronomic survey spending two years as Executive Chef at Rakel, and then as Executive Chef at Pierre Au Tunnel, before landing at Raoul's Restaurant where he remained for five years.
At long last, in 1998, Chef Solliard became a restaurant owner. At Seppi's, partnering with Paolo Calamary Serge and Guy Raouls in 2001, he became the solo Owner of Seppi's. He was also featured in several magazines such as The New York Post, The Daily News, and Runner's World. He started importing Chef Claude's Kombu Noodle and later partnered in La Saviesanne Dream product with Frank Debond and Donna Hughes. He hosted dinner at the James Beard Foundation, got Two Stars in the New York Observer, and worked on the movie sets of Addicted to Love and Perfect Murder. The boy from Switzerland interweaves 15 years of professional experience with an inseparable attachment to the Swiss mountainside where fresh herbs, mushrooms, and cow's milk are everyday fare. Seppi's is the culimination of a love of food and a Chef's dream of owning his own French bistro in Manhattan. He's now "NewYorkSmart."
In February 2010, after 13 years of serving his marvellous dishes at Seppi's, Chef Claude joined Serra Bistro in Murray Hill Manhattan in June 2010 where he is continuing his partnership with Rex Duval Catering for your off-premises private events as well.
