Alain Giraud & Maison Giraud

Alain Giraud was born in Paris in 1959 into a family of restauranteurs, and he credits his two grandmothers as his inspiration. He was educated at Nimes Culinary School where he graduated in 1976, and then worked as chef de partie at l’Ermitage Meissonnier in Avignon, France until 1981, at which time he went to serve in the French National Service as chef for the officers’ mess.

Upon discharge, he worked for a year in Landau, Germany and then to the one Michelin star Hotel Imperator in Nimes, as sous chef. Later in 1982, he joined the two-star Hôtel de Crillon in Paris for one year, and then the Restaurant Le Revebere Narbonne for another year as Second de Cuisine. From 1984 to 1987 he was the chef garde manger for Restaurant Le Grand Véfour in Paris.

In January, 1988 he was hired as a personal chef for a well know personality in the USA, before joining Great Chef Michel Richard at Restaurant Citrus in April,1988 as chef saucier. Chef Richard made him the executive chef in 1989. In December 1994, the Great Chefs team showed up to tape both Chefs Alain Giraud and Michel Richard for the Discovery Channel’s Great Chefs – Great Cities television series. In 1995, Chef Alain was voted Chef of the Year by the Club Culinaire Français.

In 1998, he opened Lavande at the Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel, and the restaurant was named one of the best new restaurants by John Mariani of Esquire, and Jonathan Gold of the LA Times Magazine. In 2002, he launched Bastide in Los Angeles and in 2008, he created Anisette Restaurant in Santa Monica, in partnership with Mike Garrett and Tommy Stoilkovich.

The restaurant / bakery Maison Giraud opened their doors 5 years ago in 2011.