2013 Top 5 Rising Chefs in the U.S. " THIS RESTAURANT IS TEMPORARILY CLOSED La Provence

Native Californian Erick Loos IV, 27, began cooking in high school and attended the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco, where an externship brought him to Restaurant August in New Orleans to cook --- and pick up a culinary Creole accent --- under chef John Besh. After Hurricane Katrina, Loos stayed in the city working to rebuild the New Orleans restaurant community. Under Besh, he soon moved up the ranks to become sous chef, and in 2009 he was named chef de cuisine at La Provence. His use of local ingredients --- many raised on the restaurant's adjacent farm, including the furry Mangalitsa pig --- helped popularize sustainable farming in the region. Erick spends every summer in Provence, France, cooking at the Château de Montcaud and immersing himself in Provençal cuisine and culture. He recently won top honors at the national Cochon 555 competition.

 Read GAYOT.com's restaurant review of La Provence