René Verdon

Verdon died on February 2, 2011, at the age of 86. The cause of death was reported by his wife to be leukemia.

After leaving the White House, Verdon began to demonstrate kitchen appliances before opening up the restaurant Le Trianon in San Francisco, California. Le Trianon became one of America's finest French restaurants of the 1970s and 1980's, it was in operation from 1972 until 1985. He was a classical French chef that did not appreciate using too many new ingredients and food fads, such as the popular 1980s salads made of flowers and arugula. He stated in an interview, "I think California cooking is crazy, Here they don't have any basics. They are always trying something new. Everything is mixed up"

Verdon produced a cookbook titled The White House Chef Cookbook, first published in 1965. Over 500 recipes are interspersed with happy anecdotes of his time in the Kennedy White House interacting with the First Family.

He continued his role as White House chef after the 1963 assassination of President Kennedy and began working for President Johnson. However creative differences rose after a Texan food co-ordinator hired by Johnson began to supply Verdon with canned and frozen vegetables to keep White House costs down. He often spoke out about the food choices of the Johnsons, once saying to The Washington Post, "You can eat at home what you want, but you do not serve barbecued spareribs at a banquet with the ladies in white gloves." He resigned from his post in 1965 after he was asked to prepare a cold garbanzo bean puree, a dish which he reportedly detested regardless of its temperature.

René Verdon (June 29, 1924 – February 2, 2011) was a French-born American chef and author. Verdon was the chef for the White House during the administrations of John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson. Verdon was hired by First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy in 1961.

Verdon was born in Pouzauges, western France in 1924. His family owned a bakery and pastry shop. He had two older brothers, a baker and pâtissier, this is where he got his inspiration to become a chef. At the age of 13 Verdon began an apprenticeship after which he worked in several prestigious restaurants in Paris and Deauville including Le Berkeley. He emigrated to the United States in 1958.