At Georgie, chef Wilfrid Hocquet imbues his native Southern France into the ethos, creating a menu that intertwines French Mediterranean and Southern Californian ingredients and sensibilities. The restaurant is known for its use of seasonal, farm-fresh ingredients, and now Hocquet offers a concise point of view honed by an impressive resume that includes both savory and pastry, fitting of time and place.
Hocquet is classically trained, having grown up through the ranks of traditional, strict brigade-style kitchens. Immediately after graduating from high school with a culinary diploma, he earned a degree in culinary arts from Lycée Hotelier du Sacré Coeur in Saint Chély d’Apcher. His first official experience in a kitchen was at Cannes institution and Michelin-starred La Palme d’Or (**) and then Le Jardin des Sens (***) in Montpellier, France.
He would then spend eight years working for his mentor Alain Ducasse throughout France from 2002-2011: Le Louis XV (***) under Frank Cerutti in Monaco; Bar & Boeuf (*) as sous chef for Philippe Gollino in Monaco; Terras Hotel as executive chef consultant in Paris; at farm-to-table rooted “La Bastide de Moustiers” (*) as executive chef at Moustiers Sainte-Marie; Benoit (*) ‘Bistrot’ as executive chef in Paris. He did take time off from Ducasse, having been recruited by Daniel Boulud to become chef de partie and chef de partie tournant at Daniel (***) in New York from 2006-2007.
With a passion for travel, Hocquet was offered an opportunity to return to, and consult for Jacques and Laurent Pourcel (***), to oversee seven international properties as corporate executive chef. He would eventually find his way back to the US as a corporate chef for two years for a multi-property concept that brought him full-circle back to his roots of French Mediterranean cuisine until recently joining Georgie at Montage Beverly Hills.