TEAM
What sets Le Perche apart quality-wise is the unwavering attention to detail and passion for great food exhibited by our talented ownership team – husband and wife Chefs Jeff Gimmel and Nina Bachinsky Gimmel, and Partner & Executive Chef John Carr, who oversees daily operations.
Jeff Gimmel &
Nina Bachinsky Gimmel
Jeff Gimmel attended culinary school at Johnson & Wales in Providence, Rhode Island, and explored his passion for the clean flavors of the ocean as a chef in Newport. In 1994, he studied in the south of France with chef Roger Vergé at Le Moulin De Mougins, whose simple cooking style, accent on fresh vegetables, olive oil, and straightforward preparation ("food of the sun") influenced Jeff's own philosophy. Upon returning to Manhattan, Jeff became chef and partner of the French American bistro Savann Est before becoming executive chef of the midtown institution Michael’s.
Nina Bachinsky Gimmel grew up in the Hudson Valley and began cooking professionally in her teens, developing her skill in the pastry arts at some of New York City’s most celebrated restaurants such as Le Bernardin, Union Square Café, and The Peninsula Hotel under Chef Grey Kuntz. She later rose to pastry chef at the two-star Café M of the Stanhope Hotel. Nina’s dessert approach highlights local, seasonal, and natural ingredients arranged simply, yet with polish, charm, and a definite je ne sais quoi.
They were co-owners of the Nantucket catering company Le Potager, a Food & Wine Magazine notable, but a shared passion for wine and cheese led them back to New York State to learn the art of cheesemaking at Old Chatham Sheepherding Company. They also spent several months in New Zealand learning viniculture from Clive Paton, winemaker and owner of Ata Rangi, one of New Zealand’s most promising pinot noir vineyards.
John Carr
John Carr spent his childhood in Southeast Asia and Australia. After attending Bard College in Annandale-on Hudson, NY, he entered the restaurant world as a dishwasher at Le Petit Bistro in Rhinebeck, NY. Shortly after, John met his current partners, Jeff and Nina Gimmel, and spent a year working with them at Swoon Kitchenbar in Hudson, NY. He then moved to New York City to pursue his culinary career, which led to his four-year Executive Chef role at Upper East Side establishment, Sfoglia. After seven years of focusing on fresh, Italian cuisine, John turned his interest to French cooking. He staged with Frenchie Chef, Gregory Marchand, in Paris, and opened two new restaurants with restauranteur, Eli Zabar. After receiving an education in the power of a good wine list and beautiful ingredients, John was ready to leave Manhattan and pursue his dream of opening a small French restaurant in upstate New York. John and his wife, Lindsay, met at Bard College and currently reside in Hudson, NY.
