Star French chef Bernard Loiseau was found dead on Feb 24. He apparently shot himself with his hunting rifle. Some - including Paul Bocuse - blame the suicide on the Gault et Millau guide, which recently downgraded Loiseau's grade from 19 to 17. Tough times for French cuisine stars nowadays...

Vincent,<BR>As far as I remember, it was an accident (helicopter crash) with Poilane.<BR><BR>Well, sad news.<BR>Here's Loiseau's web site announcing his sudden death:<BR>www.bernard-loiseau.com

PS:<BR>For those who read French, here is an extensive article and hommage to Bernard Loiseau (aged 52) from today's Le Figaro.<BR>http://www.lefigaro.fr/france/20030225.FIG0090.html

I have a biography book about Bernard LOiseau called &quot;Burgundy Stars&quot;. This is shocking news. Husband and I stayed and ate at La cote d'Or in May 2000. Even though his chateau was/is not my favorite.. I am very, very sad.

Thanks, Vincent and Ursula. If I didn't hang in there with Fodors I would never know about the news, good or bad.

Ursula, I am having trouble finding the article in Le Figaro. I think that I am writing the html correctly. Any suggestions or ideas about this? Many thanks.

You can pull up info at www.yahoo.com. Select news and put in &quot;Loiseau&quot; as the search term.

No problem with the web address Ursula put. Lynlor perhaps you should try copy and paste function rather than actually writing it yourself(if you did).<BR><BR>Also try the following Yahoo France and enter &quot;A La Une&quot;. You will find a lot of articles concering him and his death.<BR>http://fr.yahoo.com/<BR><BR>It's the top story on most French TV news.

It was a big story on Radio France International this morning, too. Mentioned the Gault Millau theory. So sad.

Thanks, all. Everything is working fine. The news is still too sad.

Watched last night's news on a French TV channel and it was THE top story.<BR>I was very surprised, his wife was giving an interview. She seemed very controlled and said business would go on as usual, except for Friday afternoon, when the funeral will take place. Some 4.000 people are expected in this small village called Saulieu (Cote d'Or) with some 3.000 inhabitants only.<BR>I am really wondering, whether there is something about this we will never know.

I do know that he had terrible cash flow problems....He was/is much more in debt than any of the other *** Michelin rated chefs. The book &quot;Burgundy Stars&quot; talked about this. I first got the book at our library and as it seemed to be out of print, I was able to find a new copy to buy on Amazon.com. <BR><BR>When we were there, we met his wife, Dominque. She was very nice and charming and escorted us into a lovely room for a free drink and some appetizers while we waited for our room which wasn't ready yet.<BR><BR>Now I am going to read the book again.

Thanks, Ursula for keeping us informed about Bernard Loiseau. If you hear or read anything more please let us know.

I read that for the last three years he had been depressed, ( his wife said,) and that he had not taken any time off from work and was exhausted.

P.S. Yes Poilane died with his wife and his dog in a crash of his plane, sadly minutes from his destination, one of his homes.

In case anyone is interested, there are some well-written pieces on this topic in the Guardian:<BR><BR>http://www.guardian.co.uk/elsewhere/journalist/story/0,7792,903516,00.html<BR><BR>http://www.guardian.co.uk/g2/story/0...903641,00.html (An interview with his friend and former chef Marco Pierre White)<BR><BR>http://www.guardian.co.uk/obituaries...903691,00.html (Obituary)<BR><BR>

My Friends and I were so tired of all the French bashing so we went out to lunch today in a French Restaurant and drank a French wine to toast regrets of the loss of Poilane and Loiseau.