Years ago, Eric Leveillee never imagined he would one day become one of Philadelphia’s top chefs, working at the popular Lacroix at The Rittenhouse, writes Kae Lani Palmisano for Philadelphia Magazine.
At the lowest point in his life, Leveillee was homeless and struggling with addiction, constantly cycling in and out of jail.
However thanks to the help, love, and forgiveness from several anchoring people in his life, he managed to put his life in order. His journey inspired the head chef to pay it forward by offering mentorship and direction to other people in the hospitality industry who find their lives spiraling out of control.
Leveillee worked at several restaurants before joining Lacroix in 2019.
“I wanted to work for a chef who could mentor me,” he said. “I knew Jon Cichon had really strong fundamentals. I wanted to learn sauce-making and stuff like that, and how to run a larger team.”
He learned a lot from Cichon beyond cooking, such as how to buy a house, sign up for a 401K, and managing a team.
As a result, he is always focused on how to help his team.
“I didn’t have a mentor like that until Jon, which was pretty late in my career, so I try to make sure that other people do have that,” said Leveillee.
Read more about Eric Leveillee and his journey in Philadelphia Magazine.
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Editor’s Note: This post first appeared on PHILADELPHIA Today in September 2024.
