Meet Martine & Marc
Martine
Martine Holzman has lived in Lexington since 1997, when she and her husband Jim came for work and stayed for the “small town feel, Southern hospitality, and proximity to hiking in the nearby Red River Gorge.”
But her culinary journey began in France, as a little girl helping her grandmother in the family garden and kitchen. “Later I would help my mom, who was a renowned regional French chef, prepare our traditional family meals. She passed her culinary passion on to me and would often even let me prepare the desserts by myself.”
Martine’s career started in the medical field; she eventually moved into sales and then to an executive catering chef position. Her original cake shop, known today as Martine’s Pastries and serving cafe specialities like soups and sandwiches in addition to sweets, was founded in 1999.
We got to know Martine through her cakes, which are as delicious as they are beautiful. We’ve served them in our restaurants, ordered them for special occasions, and plated hundreds of slices at weddings we’ve catered.
Martine has a special place in her heart for Jacques Pépin. “What I loved most about his television classes was his enthusiasm and simplistic teaching style. I felt like I could easily prepare his dishes after each episode. He inspires me because he never stopped learning, was continually perfecting his craft and was ever dedicated to partnering and sharing his gifts with others.”
For our celebration of Jacques’s 90th birthday, Martine and her bakers will prepare a classic French plum galette for the centerpiece dessert, accompanied by an array of sweets and pastries.
Marc
Marc Puil is a native of Paris (France, not Kentucky); he came to Lexington via Philadelphia and New York City. His American journey started in Philadelphia; from there he headed to NYC and worked his way through a string of French bistros; eventually landing a job at the legendary Lutece.
Marc’s restaurant career commenced when he was 15. He attended cooking school in Paris and spent a few years at the stove before deciding he preferred the front of the house to the back. And that’s where you’ll find him at Lexington’s Le Deauville, the downtown bistro he’s owned since 2007.
While some of us remember a time when French restaurants were thick on the ground in Lexington, only Le Deauville still stands today, a testament to its genuinely Gallic vibe. As Marc once declared in Keeneland Magazine, “I run a French restaurant and I am French. We are the real thing.”
Le Deauville’s approachable French menu and cozy ambiance inspire the joie de vivre that Jacques Pépin personifies so perfectly. Sitting at a sidewalk table with a cool glass of wine and platter of mussels, it’s easy to be transported to the streets of Paris. And even easier to be tempted to return for more.
For our celebration of Jacques’s 90th birthday, Marc and his culinary team will create a salad of warm shrimp with citrus and avocado and a chilled golden tomato basil bisque.
Related Content
Tapenade
Chefs Ouita and Tyler shared Jacques Pépin's "Happy Cooking" philosophy with happy guests in our Holly Hill Cooking Studio. His Tapenade was on the menu that night and now we've created a summery version of it to share with you.
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