Chef Cedric Maupillier began his culinary journey at the ripe age of 15 in Toulon.  Humble beginnings at Levilly Bakery and Monte Carlo’s Café de Paris sparked a passion in the industry that led him back to school where he received his BA in Restaurant & Hotel Management.  Upon graduating, Maupillier picked up and moved to England where he quickly proved himself working under noted chef Julian Clauss-Ehlers, as well as staging in several Michelin rated chefs’ kitchen. He later returned to France to work for few years at the 3 Michelin Stars rated La Cote St. Jacques and at the Relais & Chateaux’s Du Pralon.

The chef’s next move was across the pond where he parlayed his experience into a position at the Ritz Carlton’s Maestro in 2002 under the leadership of Fabio Trabocchi.  From there Maupillier went to work for the famed Michel Richard at Citronelle as the executive sous chef, eventually moving on to assist Richard in the developing and opening of his latest project as Executive Chef and got rewarded in 2008 James Beard Best New Restaurant Central until about two years ago when he left to do some culinary research abroad (vacation…).  When the chef returned to D.C. he met restaurateur Saied Azali who was opening a new restaurant in Adams Morgan, Mintwood Place, where Maupillier continues to serve as Executive Chef. 

At Mintwood Place, his hard work has shown through the accolades. Mintwood Place and he have garnered: Washington Post and Washingtonian 3 star reviews, Food & Wine’s The People’s Best New Chef: Mid-Atlantic, nominated for Chef of the Year at the RAMMYS in 2013/14/15 and took home Best New Restaurant in 2013, Best Brunch in 2014 and Best Upscale Casual Restaurant in 2015 , was a James Beard Award semifinalist for Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic in 2013/14/15 and Best New Restaurant in 2014 and included in Conde Nast Traveler’s 70 best new restaurants in the world in 2013. 

In November 2015, Chef Maupillier, with business partner Saied Azali, opened Convivial Restaurant in the Washington, DC Shaw neighborhood. Since its opening, Convivial and Maupillier have garnered accolades including a 3 star review from the Washington Post, 3.5 star review from the Washingtonian, and he was a James Beard Award semifinalist for Best Chef Mid-Atlantic for the fourth year in a row. At Convivial, Chef Maupillier incorporates both French and American influences, a fitting combination to his dual citizenship, as he became a U.S. citizen in February of this year.

A native of Vienna, Virginia, Chef Matt found his calling to cooking quite young. He started working in restaurants at the age of thirteen. He worked in restaurants all his life in multiple capacities and found himself working in restaurants to work himself through college at East Carolina University where he earned an English degree. He found himself at a crossroad and decided to pursue his passion. He attended Stratford University where he earned three culinary degrees. As a part of his training he worked with a renowned master butcher. Upon graduation he worked in French restaurants in Washington, DC. He secured a position as a commis and worked his way up to be the youngest Sous Chef in the history of La Chaumiere, a DC landmark for classic French food.

In 2014, Chef Matt joined the team at Le Diplomate as Executive Sous Chef and quickly became an indispensable asset to the restaurant. In 2017, he was named Chef de Cuisine of Mintwood Place, a role in which he continues to delight guests with his refined classics with a contemporary touch. On any given day Chef Matt can be found creating dishes such as Boeuf Bourguignon, or his Saffron Mussel Chowder. He believes the most flavorful cuisine is made simply with the best, highest quality products and he considers it part of his job to inspire and educate guests about the bounty that surrounds us in the DMV area.

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