Michel Louis-Marie Richard (/mɪˈʃɛl rɪˈʃɑːrd/ mish-EL rish-ARD, French: [miʃɛl ʁiʃaʁ]; March 7, 1948 – August 13, 2016) was a French-born chef, formerly the owner of the restaurant Citrus in Los Angeles and Citronelle and Central in Washington, D.C.
[3] By 1986, Richard was L.A.'s most famous French pastry chef when he opened his first restaurant, Citrus in West Hollywood.
[4] In 1997, he sold half of his interest in Citrus (Los Angeles) to the Meristar Corporation, who were also his partners in Citronelle.
[15] That year, he also opened Citrus at Social in Los Angeles and Citronelle at Carmel Valley Ranch.
[17] At the time of his death, the Pomme Palais bakery in New York and Central Michel Richard were his last two restaurants.