“When I’m at home on the deck in my apron, I’m cooking simple things and just putting out platters,” he says. Now, from his home in Toronto’s east end, Le Calvez revels in firing up the barbecue and hosting neighbours, family (his brother lives nearby now, too) and friends for late lunch, Mexican style. Earlier this year, he also became a proud Canadian citizen.

I think the city’s really ready for that now.” In his pandemic off-time, Le Calvez become an entrepreneur, co-founding the Casa Bonita tortilla chip brand, now carried at national grocery chains. “My food showcases the similarities between French and Mexican techniques and the way product is used. Though the salary didn’t quite meet the fantasy, the opportunity felt right and he moved to Toronto with his wife, Andrea, and two children.Īfter an eight-year stint at El Catrin, in the city’s Distillery District, Le Calvez is now executive chef at the newly opened Casa Madera, the beachy-chic restaurant at 1 Hotel. “I wasn’t looking to relocate at the time, so I joked that if they offered me $10-million, I’d move,” he says with a laugh. Ten years ago, Olivier Le Calvez was teaching at Le Cordon Bleu Mexico when a former student called to ask if he’d be interested in opening a Mexican restaurant in Toronto. It all started with an offer he couldn’t refuse.

Chef Olivier Le Calvez, executive chef at the newly opened Casa Madera in Toronto, also co-founded the Casa Bonita tortilla chip brand, now carried at national grocery chains.

Cucumber peeler