A Quickie With Catch & Cut's Andre Bienvenu
After a quarter century at Joe's Stone Crab, he's learned some things
If you’ve been to Joe’s Stone Crab at any point this century, Andre Bienvenu had a hand in your dinner. The Ohio native came to South Florida in the late 1990s to take a job at the iconic South Beach restaurant, and served as its executive chef for 26 years. Over the decades, he gained a reputation as one of the hardest working, most consistent, and even-keeled chefs in the city.
But after a quarter century, Bienvenu knew it was time to move on. And late last year he reimagined the kitchen at Catch & Cut in Ft. Lauderdale, taking the reins as partner and Executive Chef. While Catch & Cut is hardly Joe’s North, the chef brings his same dedication to hospitality and great steak and seafood. And as we move headlong into stone crab season, he’s definitely a guy you’ll want to visit.
He sat down with The Leftovers and told us why he never drinks, smokes, or swears, and how something called Gobbledeegaloo shaped his culinary future.
Name: André Bienvenu
Do you have a nickname? In high school I was nicknamed the Pillsbury Dough Boy. I do have a little pudgy belly, and I’m ok with it.
Place of work: Partner and Executive Chef, Catch & Cut
Childhood leftover memory: I grew up with five brothers and sisters, and I became a chef because my mom was a leftovers queen. I’d say, “Mom, what’s for dinner?” and she’d say, “Leftovers.” I have two great memories: Canned ham with twist ties, and Gobledeegaloo, where she’d take ground beef with Lipton onion soup mix, and put it with a toaster in the middle of the table. Then you’d toast the bread and put the Gobledeegaloo on top.
What is your favorite restaurant to take leftovers home from? Tropical Acres, because it’s an old-school restaurant with old school hospitality and there’s always enough to take home.
My last meal would be: A complete turkey dinner. I love Thanksgiving dinner and I replicate it throughout the year, in different seasons, where I go to the store and I buy the turkey, put it in a pot with gravy. Stove Top stuffing and cranberry sauce? You can’t go wrong.
What kind of music is on in your kitchen? I’m a huge Jimmy Buffet fan, he’s one of the reasons I moved to Florida in ’96. I got to meet him several times, and to this day I can say he was a good friend of mine. A lot of Phil Collins and a lot of yacht rock, too.
What do you wear at home in the kitchen? I usually wear shorts and a chef’s coat. I’m a big shorts fan, and I have a chef’s coat on seven days a week. I probably own too many.
What is your favorite thing about the South Florida restaurant scene? I like the diversity of South Florida. Between the Cuban and the Haitian and the Hispanic movement, it’s something I really enjoy. I never had a chance to cook with those cultures when I was younger. Also, the caliber of restaurants is getting better and better.
What is your least favorite thing? The cost of going out is very expensive, and I think more than ever I’ve walked away and said, “Really? This is what I got for that price?” And I don’t remember saying that many years ago. I wish (chefs) would stay true to what they do and make an experience so guests walk away saying, “Wow, that was an amazing experience.” That’s what I try to apply at Catch & Cut. I know you’re gonna spend a lot, but I want people to walk away and say “Wow, that was a great steak, or a great piece of fish.” Be true to what you are, and be good to your customers and your staff.
What would people be most surprised to know about you? That I never drink, never smoked, never touched an illegal drug. I don’t use any profanity, I don’t allow it or any defamation of character or any screaming or yelling in my kitchen. The staff at Joe’s was 130 people, and I didn’t allow it there either. We’re gonna communicate, and I want to create a really good environment.
What’s your go-to kitchen tool? Thermometer. I teach my staff to use the thermometer religiously, it keeps everyone on an even keel, keeps customers on an even keel. There’s no challenging a thermometer.
If you weren’t a chef, you’d be: Probably a motivational speaker or a landscaper. I do a lot of landscaping in my off hours, it’s like my Zen moment. By not drinking, smoking, or doing drugs, I’m a great motivational speaker to my staff and my friends. I bring a unique perspective, and I try to give them guidance on life. Especially the younger ones.
What advice would you give aspiring chefs? I would advise them to take your time, learn the craft. I always break it down to three perspectives: You’ve gotta learn the culinary side first. Then learn the human side, then the financial side. If you can put all three of those together, you’ll be very successful in the field. But take your time, don’t be afraid of hard work, and never stop learning when it comes to culinary.
What is your biggest guest pet peeve? When they give me an allergy card and a list of everything they’re allergic to. When they hand you a card and there’s 50 or 60 things on there, some things are out of my control. I now have to think of every little ingredient in every item I buy to protect myself and the restaurant. You’re almost setting me up for failure. If you’re allergic to that many items, just don’t go out.
@chefandreb // Catch & Cut, 1309 E. Las Olas Blvd., Ft. Lauderdale