Bernard Loiseau was one of only twenty-five French chefs to hold Europe's highest culinary award, three stars in the Michelin Red Guide, and only the second chef to be personally awarded the Legion of Honor by the state. Despite such triumphs, the fifty-year-old luminary shocked the food world by taking his own life in February 2003. The GaultMillau guidebook had recently dropped its ratings of Loiseau's restaurant, and rumors swirled that he was on the verge of losing a Michelin star (a prediction that proved to be inaccurate).

Journalist Rudolph Chelminski, who befriended Loiseau three decades ago and followed his rise to the pinnacle of French restaurateurs, now gives us a rare tour of this hallowed culinary realm. The Perfectionist is the story of a daydreaming teenager who discovered his life's mission in the kitchen of France's famed Troisgros brothers, then went on to build a luxurious empire as the savior of La Cote d'Or, a century-old inn and restaurant that had lost all of its Michelin stars. Immersing readers in the sophisticated, unforgiving world of French gastronomy, Chelminski vividly depicts a man whose energy and enthusiasm won the hearts of staff and clientele, while self-doubt and cutthroat critics took their toll.

An unvarnished glimpse inside an echelon filled with competition, culture wars, and impossibly high standards, The Perfectionist reveals the fascinating details of life among the globe's most demanding gourmands.