[4] Palladin attended culinary school in Toulouse and then worked in the kitchen of an Italian restaurant in Condom.

[2] President Reagan celebrated his 70th birthday at Jean-Louis at an intimate party that included actor Jimmy Stewart.

[2] Palladin sought to incorporate American ingredients on his menu: "The challenge of cooking in America," he said in 1987, "is to discover the newest and best products from the different states -- baby eels and lamprey from Maine, fresh snails from Oregon, blowfish from the Carolinas and California oysters -- and then to learn how to integrate them into your cuisine.

"[4] Jean-Louis became a destination for other prominent French and American chefs, such as Julia Child, Thomas Keller, and Daniel Boulud.

[2] The restaurant never made a significant profit, however, due to its small size and expensive ingredients - Jean-Louis closed on June 15, 1996.