Executive Chef Rene Bajeux

Born and raised in Alsace-Lorraine, France, Executive Chef Bajeux has made New Orleans his home since 1996. Prior to taking helm of the Rib Room in May of 2011, Chef Rene spent time in San Antonio, TX and at luxury resorts in St. Maarten and Anguilla. The critically acclaimed Master French Chef — he is the only chef throughout the entire state of Louisiana who holds this elite title — originally came onto the New Orleans culinary scene as the Executive Chef of the Windsor Court Hotel’s Grill Room. He later opened Rene Bistrot, located in the Renaissance Pere Marquette Hotel, where he served up authentic French cuisine and had a stint at La Provence, the renowned French restaurant located on the Northshore.

Since entering the fine dining world more than 30 years ago, Chef Rene has garnered numerous accolades, including Esquire magazine’s “Best New Restaurants,” “Chef of the Year” from the American Tasting Institute and inclusion among “America’s Top Tables,” from Gourmet magazine. He has hosted numerous dinners at The James Beard House in New York City and was designated “Outstanding Member, 1997-2000” by The James Beard Foundation. Chef Rene describes his style of cooking as “back to basics” with an emphasis on fresh, locally sourced ingredients that spotlight his French and updated American cuisine.

Paul Pinnell, Rib Room General Manager

A native of Dallas, TX, Paul Pinnell joined the Rib Room team with more than three decades of experience in fine dining management. A seasoned professional, Pinnell most recently operated his own wine bar and restaurant in Dallas, TX, which was rated Four Stars by the Dallas Morning News, #1 Dallas Dining Destination by Texas Monthly and was featured in Bon Appetit, Food & Wine and Travel + Leisure. Pinnell was also employed as the Maitre ‘d and Manager of Laurel’s Restaurant in the Sheraton Park Central Hotel and Café Royal Restaurant in the Plaza of the Americas Hotel and was the Manager of the Mobil Four-Star and AAA Four Diamond Nana Restaurant in Dallas.