Alex Cormier

Among the more unusual people to whom Alex Cormier has served dinner is Prince Sultan Bandar of Saudi Arabia. Cormier held a part-time job as personal chef to the prince, who was visiting the States, and counted among his duties the daily preparation of 12 grilled quails for his royal highness.

Cormier is plenty interesting in his own right. The son of a Russian mother and French father, Cormier was raised in Philadelphia. At 14, he got an after-school job at the celebrated La Truffe, and the Swiss chef there, Jean-Francois Taquet, took a shine to the boy. For three years, Taquet put Cormier through his paces, teaching him the skills of saucier, garde manger, and butcher. At 17, Cormier joined his mentor at the Fountain Restaurant at The Four Seasons Hotel in Philadelphia, where the young apprentice was sent out to perfect his craft. After four years of stages under such luminaries as Jean-Louis Palladin (The Watergate, Washington D.C.), Yanig Camp (Montrachet, New York), Johnny K (Johnny K’s, Washington D.C.) and Doug McNeil (The Four Seasons, Washington D.C.) it was time to see the world. In Honolulu, he helped open the French Nouvelle Contempo Cafe. In Dallas, he worked at the Stonebridge Country Club (and encountered the sultan). In 1989 Cormier returned to Philadelphia where he polished his skills as sous-chef alongside Bruce Lim at the popular Ciboulette.

Eventually, he left to open his own place, Alex on South, serving the artless, elegant French food that is a Cormier trademark. When the restaurant closed, Cormier wore top toque in a succession of fine restaurants in New Jersey, before opening Cibo, Ciboulette’s consistently 4-star rated sister establishment. Next stop the four-star Harriette’s Restaurant in Princeton, from whence Alison Becker Hurt, owner of Manhattan’s Alison on Dominick, plucked him. His tenure at Alison on Dominick was a fruitful one, but he eventually moved on and spent time catering to fashionistas at Manhattan’s Dorazio Main Events.

Longing for a simpler life, Cormier accepted a position as executive chef at Rick’s in Lambertville, NJ after the chef/owner sustained a back injury in 2000. What started out as a temporary position turned into a three-year tenure, after which he bought the place in October 2003. While at Rick’s, Cormier met his future wife, Dana Ruggiero, dining with friends one night. She was swept off her feet by his pork choucroute and his winning personality--and the pair never looked back. They were married in May 2005.

The rest is history. Alex enjoys showcasing a spectacular array of fine European and Asian influenced cuisines for specials, while maintaining the integrity of the base Italian menu that has made Rick’s a must-visit destination for over a decade. From foie gras and sweetbreads to penne arrabiata and meatballs, Rick’s is a classic standout in a charming river town.