Fine Dining with The Hollywood Chef

    Knights of the Vine

      Loses a Dear Colleague and a Great Friend 

by Lee Melville
February 2, 2011
UPDATED OCTOBER 22, 2011


VERN LANEGRASSE

August 22, 1924    January 19, 2011

Vern Lanegrasse "The Hollywood Chef"


The first time I met Vern he was my boss. He was manager of Guest Relations for NBC-TV and I had been hired as a lowly page under his supervision. I quickly discovered his bark was more ferocious than his bite. He would chastise the pages often and there were plenty of reasons as we would cut-up constantly. After all, most of us were college students and/or actors so the chance to “perform” for an audience waiting to be admitted to one of the network’s live shows was an opportunity we couldn’t resist. Another page on staff at that time was Neill Foster, who previously worked at Bank of America. Later, he was invited to live with Vern and his close friend Walter Wood, a high school teacher, in their Hollywood home. Always a supporter of young talent, Vern would often organize a group to go see an undiscovered singer or comic performing at a local club.


After I left NBC, I remained in Los Angeles to pursue acting. Having been through the grind himself, Vern offered me advice and guidance in career choices. He never steered me wrong and, for a time, acted as my manager. Later on, when I moved to New York, I would still call on his assistance because of his eastern connections in the business. Every time I returned to LA, a visit to “Uncle Vern’s” was a must as he would cook a sumptuous meal which was shared with Walter, Neill and perhaps other ex-pages or friends.


Vern loved to entertain, whether it was for six or 60, so it was a natural move for him to transition from a singing career in classical music, having won the national competition on radio’s Major Bowes Amateur Hour at age 13, to becoming a chef. Born in Bogalusa, Louisiana, he came by cooking naturally as his great-grandfather, from the Alsace Lorraine area of France, opened the first French bakery in the Mississippi Delta region north of New Orleans. Both his French grandfather and his Cajun father continued the bakery and his mother, the former Pearl Breland from Mississippi, was an award-winning cook.

After 10-years with NBC, Vern decided to combine his two loves, cooking and show business, and embarked upon his most successful career of all. For the past 40 years he has been known as “The Hollywood Chef.” He had his own national radio talk show, “Cooking with the Hollywood Chef” for over three years, then a TV show with the same name which aired for two years. Additionally he appeared on many other shows, including a two year stint on AM-LA, plus he was a columnist, lecturer, teacher, spokesperson, cooking contest and wine judge, all on an international scale.


While I was editor of Drama-Logue, he wrote a weekly column about restaurants in LA suitable for an actor’s budget. He continued a similar column for LA Stage magazine. His by-line also appeared regularly in the LA Herald Examiner, Weekly Valley Vantage, The Arbor and Club, Sports and Society Magazine. Often I would go to dinner with Vern, Walter and Neill, then they would join me for a theatre outing.


Vern had been in failing health for over a year and when he passed away in January at age 86, he was preceded by Walter on Aug. 1, 2010 and survived by Neill who remains in the home they shared for over 50 years. Neill and I dined recently at one of Vern’s favorite restaurants, Musso & Frank, on Hollywood Blvd. We raised a toast to a wonderful friend who was also a perceptive mentor and a damned good cook.

More On The Passing of a True Legend, Vern Lanegrasse

VERN LANEGRASSE, also known as “The Hollywood Chef”, passed away on January 19, 2011 at the age of 86. Vern was the only son of Bertrand and Pearl Lanegrasse and was born in Bogalusa, LA on August 22, 1924. He received a degree in music from Loyola in New Orleans and planned a singing career in classical music from the time he was a teenager. At the tender age of thirteen he won the national competition on the Major Bowles Radio Show. He followed this with a successful four season stint in The New Orleans Opera Company.


The lure of show business brought Vern to Hollywood, where he quickly took up a second successful career with a ten year stint as an executive for NBC - TV.
 
But throughout those two highly successful vocations, Vern had an avocation dear to his heart - cooking. He came by it naturally - his great-grandfather, from the Alsace Lorraine area of France, opened the first French bakery in the Mississippi Delta region north of New Orleans.


Both his French grandfather and his Cajun father continued the family bakery business, and his mother, the former Pearl Breland from Mississippi, was an award-winning cook, particularly in the art of cake baking.


After his stint with NBC, Vern decided to combine his two loves - cooking and show business - and embarked upon his third and most successful career of all. For the past forty years he has been internationally known as "The Hollywood Chef". He starred on his own national radio talk show "Cooking with the Hollywood Chef", three and one half years, which was aired five days a week on KWNK-AM 670, an affiliate of ABC and starred in his own TV show, "The Hollywood Chef" which aired for two years. Additionally, Vern has appeared on many other shows, including a two year stint as a regular guest on "AM Los Angeles"(TV), two years guesting on "The Morning Show"(CBS -TV, San Francisco), "AM San Francisco" and "The Food Service Hour" (CBS-radio).


Other talents in Vern's impressive repertoire include being a columnist, lecturer, teacher, spokesperson, cooking contest judge, wine judge - all on an international scale:


Columnist: For years his by-line appeared regularly in the Los Angeles Herald Examiner. As well as his weekly column, "The Hollywood Chef" appeared in the "Weekly Valley Vantage" and in various publications throughout the United States. His by-line was also seen in "The Arbor" and "Club, Sports and Society Magazine", where he wrote a column for many years.

Spokesperson and Lecturer: Vern toured the West Coast first as a spokesperson for Kirin Beer of Japan, Mrs. Cubbison's Dressings, and for the Radisson Hotel in San Diego. In this capacity he has lectured before thousands of people and was very popular on the lecture circuit.


Judge: Vern judged the Los Angeles County Fair for many years as well as attending the National Chicken Cooking Contest at various locations throughout the nation. He judged the Perfect Martini Competition, the Spring Chili Cook-Off, the Cowbelles' Beef Cook-Off and the California Seafood Challenge. He also judged at the Southern California Exposition in Del Mar, the annual North Carolina Pork Bar-B-Q Cook-Off, the Chef Boyardee Pizza Bowl Cook-Off and the Annual La Fete Food Festival held each summer in New Orleans. He judged at the annual Wine Competition in San Jose, CA for many years. Furthermore, Vern has visited wine and food festivals in places as divergent as China, Germany, Australia, Italy, France, Canada and South Africa.


Teacher: Vern has given cooking demonstrations and wine appreciation classes throughout the United States. His classes in the Los Angeles area, at Long Beach City College and at Loyola Marymount were always sold out. He also taught "Ethnic Dining" at Cerritos Community College in Norwalk, California. Miscellaneous: Vern Lanegrasse was always interested in wine. He was a member and past Vice-President of the Southern California Wine Writers Association, Master Vice Commander for the Los Angeles Chapter of the Brotherhood of the Knights of the Vine. He belonged to twelve French Wine Brotherhoods. He was also Past-President of the California Restaurant Writers Association. In 1989 Vern received the prestigious Chevalier du Merite Agricole award, presented by Jean-Louis Rysto, France's Deputy Consul General in Los Angeles.

Recently, Vern sailed on the Mississippi River Queen steamboat from New Orleans for seven days. Vern prepared regional dishes and told tales and folklore of the area.


In October 1992, a banquet was given in honor of Vern by the University of Nevada Las Vegas, University Library Special Collections for the William F. Harrah College of Hotel Administration. It saluted his lifetime achievements, and thanked him for the magnificent collection of rare cook books and exotic menus from worldwide restaurants which he has donated to their library for twenty years.Vern lived with his best friends Walter Wood, who passed away on August 1, 2010, and Neill Foster who survives him.