Stockli,+Albert

Biographical Information:
Dates: 1918-1972 Dates in Ridgefield: circa 1965  nonfiction renowned chef Although he owned a country inn in a small Connecticut town, Albert Stockli was one of the most renowned chefs in America, the man who created the Four Seasons, the Mermaid Tavern, the Forum of the Twelve Caesars, Trattoria, Zum Zum, and other famous New York City restaurants. But a liver ailment in 1965 prompted Chef Stockli to leave the city’s hectic life and his partners, Restaurant Associates, and to buy Stonehenge Inn and Restaurant in Ridgefield. Already famous under founder Victor Gilbert, Chef Stockli’s Stonehenge gained a worldwide reputation for excellence, and many notables dined there. A native of Switzerland, Chef Stockli began cooking at nine, studied in the capitals of Europe, and came to this country in the 1940s. He was known for his inventive dishes that used fresh neighborhood foods – he visited farms and dairies himself, and had a network of hunters and fishermen who would bring him game. In 1970, Knopf published //Splendid Fare: The Albert Stockli Cookbook//. He died in 1972 at the age of 54. **Titles: ** //Splendid Fare: The Albert Stockli Cookbook, // 1970 --Sources: Notable Ridgefielders–Jack Sanders; New York Magazine, Gael Greene review, October 25, 1971, p. 75