 bernard loiseau (january 13, 1951 â february 24, 2003) was a french chef. he committed suicide by firearm in 2003 when newspaper reports hinted that his restaurant might lose its 3-star status.the new yorker, november 23, 2009, p. 46. ==early life== loiseau was born in chamaliÃ¨res, in the auvergne region of central france. he decided to become a chef as a teenager, apprenticing at the famous la maison troisgros run by the brothers jean and pierre troisgros in roanne between 1968 and 1971. ==career== in 1972, loiseau began working for restaurateur claude verger at la barriÃ¨re de clichy, and was soon hailed as a prodigy by the gault millau guide, a proponent of the nouvelle cuisine style that emphasized lightness and freshness in contrast to the cuisine classique of traditional french gastronomy. when verger bought the formerly prestigious la cÃ´te d'or of saulieu in 1975, he installed loiseau as chef and soon stood aside to allow him to develop a highly personal style of cuisine. loiseau bought la cÃ´te d'or from verger in 1982, and the well known michelin guide bestowed the coveted 3-star rating on his establishment in 1991. his fanatic attention to detail, frenetic work ethic and discerning palate propelled him to the top of his profession and earned him a knowledgeable and loyal but unforgiving and demanding clientele. bernard loiseau established bernard loiseau sa in 1998, and was the first star restaurateur to establish the concept of having one's restaurant incorporated and traded. at the time of his death, he was the only french chef traded on the stock exchange. under bernard loiseau sa, loiseau published numerous books, established a line of frozen foods, and opened three eateries in paris, in addition to running la cÃ´te d'or and its adjoining boutique shop. the french government awarded him its highest honour, the decorations of chevalier (knight) de la lÃ©gion d'honneur in 1994,{{cite journal|journal=jorf|volume=19
1951_births 2003_deaths Chevaliers_of_the_LA(c)gion_d\'honneur French_chefs Head_chefs_of_Michelin_starred_restaurants Knights_of_the_Ordre_National_du_MA(c)rite_Agricole_(France) Officiers_of_the_Ordre_national_du_MA(c)rite People_from_ChamaliA"res People_with_bipolar_disorder Suicides_by_firearm_in_France