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Decorated chefs Cedric Fichepain, Jim Trebbien, and Leo Fascianella come from vastly different backgrounds, but their passion for cooking and innate talent in the kitchen brought them together. In an act of serendipity, they all wound up in Omaha, where their paths would not only cross, but also lead them to The Honorable Order of the Golden Toque, the highest acclaimed recognition a chef can receive in America. To have three Golden Toque honorees in Omaha is undeniably special, and Fichepain, Trebbien, and Fascianella are only hoping to add more local chefs to the distinguished club.
Originally founded in France, The Golden Toque (or Golden Chef's Hat) is awarded to chefs with at least 20 years of service who’ve achieved significant professional success and contributed to the culinary arts in some way. The designation is limited to 100 lifetime members, who each must be nominated by three active members. Each nominee undergoes a vigorous screening process by the acceptance committee before final approval is granted. It has a strict code of ethics, and at the top of the list is: “use honesty and integrity in the acting and performance of all association dealing.” These are traits all three Omaha chefs possess.
Trebbien, an Iowa native who blossomed as an instructor and dean of Metropolitan Community College’s Institute for the Culinary Arts (one of the nation’s top centers for culinary education), never anticipated he’d be nominated, much less make it in.
“I worked for a chef that was a member of The Golden Toque and I always thought, ‘Oh that’s something I could never do,’” Trebbien said. “But when I got in, I couldn’t believe it. It is quite prestigious and I was just tickled.”
Fascianella, whose thick Sicilian accent immediately outs him as an Italian, exudes a genuine warmth when he talks about Omaha and is equally as stunned to be a Golden Toque member.
“Omaha is a great place to be, first of all, and I feel so lucky to be living in this city among some wonderful people,” he said. “I got to meet a lot of beautiful, wonderful people, and I am surprised myself that I got the honor to become a member of The Golden Toque.
“And it’s not just about what we do in cooking. It has a lot to do also for who we talk to, the lives that we could change, and things that we do among the city of Omaha. I love cooking and I’m so glad that I got to do what I love to do in my life.”
Fascianella moved to Omaha from Sicily to live with an uncle. He began shining shoes at his uncle’s shop before taking a job doing dishes at a restaurant for $1.15 an hour. But even at a young age, he knew he wanted to follow in the footsteps of his grandfather, who owned his own restaurant.
“I was hungry,” he remembered. “I needed to make money. I wanted to be self-sufficient. My goal in my life was to never, ever ask anyone for money. I grew up very poor. I never had anything in my home—no TV, nothing. When I came here, I was not very happy. I missed the ocean. I missed the smell of the fruits, olives, everything. I was crying at night and wanted to go back home, but I didn’t have any money. After a while, I kind of got used to it. My dream was always to have my own restaurant.”
He soon began to realize Omaha needed, in his opinion, better pasta—and he had just the right recipe.
“I started to love Omaha, and there were so many old steakhouses in town—Anthony’s, Ross’—and they were serving this shitty pasta with just shitty stuff,” he said with a smirk. “So I thought to myself, ‘I’m going to open a restaurant and I’m going to call it Pasta Amore.’ Some people said, ‘You’re never going to make it in Omaha, Nebraska, where they only like to eat steak and corn.’ I said, ‘Watch me.’”
Fascianella was able to build his dream life as the owner and founder of Pasta Amore in Rockbrook Village and, at the same time, help lead Omaha to new culinary heights.
“I think Leo and Cedric both changed the culture,” Trebbien said. “They were part of the change of the food culture of Omaha. They were part of the group of people that made it what it is today. When The Golden Toque came here in 2009, they were wowed out of their mind. They couldn’t believe what Omaha is and the talent that is here.”
Fichepain, the self-described “new kid on the block,” grew up in France but relocated to Omaha in 1997 after meeting his wife. “Only a woman can bring you to Omaha,” he joked. After graduating from The Institute for the Culinary Arts at Metropolitan Community College, where Trebbien was one of his instructors, he founded the French fine dining restaurant Le Voltaire in 2001, and later, Le Petit Paris French Bakery in West Omaha, quickly establishing himself among Omaha’s culinary elite. He was the last of the three to be welcomed into The Golden Toque. At 52 years old, he’s the “youngster” of the trio but isn’t any less grateful. Like Trebbien and Fascianella, he’s committed to expanding The Golden Toque circle in Omaha.
“These two gentlemen and another chef nominated me,” he explained. “We’re trying to get Omaha more on the map, you may say. Our goal is to continue to do that. There’s a pool of talented chefs here in Omaha. We have the magic number to nominate who we want.”
While they remained tight-lipped on who they are considering (though they did note they have their eyes on an “amazing guy”), the excitement in their voices was palpable as they talked about the future, especially when they talked about passing the proverbial torch to the next generation.
“It’s very important,” Fichepain said. “Education is everything and not only in cooking, it’s the same thing with regular school. You just have to mentor and teach people the basics of making food. Not everybody should be eating at McDonald’s. At the end of the day, it’s cheaper and healthier to buy some produce and make your own food.”
Fascianella jumps in with an anecdote that paints a vivid picture of how impactful a mentor can be.
“In a way, I’m not teaching anyone, but I’m mentoring people,” he explained. “I do this by growing my own vegetables. I have a farm—I grow all my own food. I remember one time there was a kid, and he was kind of naughty, drinking and tattoos everywhere and all this. He was never settled. One day I go, ‘Okay Jerry, you come with me. I want to show you something.’ I took him to my farm and made him start planting tomatoes.
“I said, ‘I’m going to leave you here all day, when you’re done, call me, I’ll come.’ We did that for about a week, and this guy became the most amazing person. He respected me for what I did. He goes, ‘Leo, that was the best lesson in the world.’ That’s what we are all about. If we could change the life of one person, I think that’s what we are here for.”
Perhaps one of the most endearing aspects of The Golden Toque trifecta is the love and appreciation they have for their families, particularly their wives: Desarae Fichepain, Patty Trebbien, and Patricia Fascianella.
“Without our wives, it would have been impossible to do,” Fichepain admitted. “There are lots of long hours in the kitchen and lots of holidays without us being home.”
And maybe they don’t realize it, but the close bond they share is also extremely evident when they are in the same room, making it only natural to inquire about their friendship.
“Not every chef gets along, but we happen to get along very well,” Fascianella said. “Even if we have some age differences, it doesn't matter. I think the main goal is to continue this adventure, provide the education, and something for the city as well.
“I’ve always lived my life like I was never jealous of anyone. I always thought that if you meet somebody like Cedric or Jim, for me, it’s a great opportunity to not only become a good friend with a nice person, but also, you can learn from each other.”
To learn more, visit hgtchefs.com.
This article originally appeared in the November/December 2024 issue of Omaha Magazine. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe.
