Longtime Metro Detroit chef and restaurateur Matt Prentice has died of a brief illness at the age of 62.
Prentice has been the culinary force behind many successful and popular Metro Detroit restaurants over the past three decades, including Morels, Shiraz, Coach Insignia and Detroit Prime. He was also known for his philanthropic endeavors, most notably his work with Cass Community Social Services.
His most recent venture was Three Cats restaurant in Clawson, a collaboration with Leon & Lulu retailers Mary Liz Curtin and Stephen Scannell with which he debuted in 2019. affordable prices and pick-up holiday dinners.
“There is a huge empty space at Three Cats,” said Mary Liz Curtin in a statement that released the news of his death, the result of a brief, non-COVID-related illness Thursday morning. “Matt was a big man with a huge heart, a loud laugh and a generous spirit. He was a great teacher, great mentor and incredible cook. We all thank him at Three Cats and are proud to be a Matt Prentice restaurant. We will always serve his favorite recipes and there will always be mushrooms on the menu. ”
Prentice’s career began in the early 1980s with the first of his Deli Unique concepts, which eventually expanded to multiple locations.
At one point in the late 1990s, the prolific restaurateur ran more than a dozen Metro Detroit businesses – including delis, cafes, seafood restaurants, bistros, and a bakery, all of which employed about 1,000 people – and he was from plan to do more, usually in Oakland County.
Its many concepts kept Metro Detroit diners satisfied – and engaged the city’s food writers and restaurant reporters – throughout the 1990s and 2000s.
Prentice was known for its velvety mushroom bisque, artful deli sandwiches and well-plated American cuisine, as well as for its giving character.
In 1998, the opening night of his first Detroit company, the Ron Rea-designed Duet Restaurant (located next to the orchestra hall) raised $ 21,000 to send members of the Detroit High School for the Fine and Performing Arts to New York City. so they could perform at Carnegie Hall.
Decades later, a 2019 preview of Three Cats served as a fundraiser for Cass Community Social Services, offering a first look at the menu for $ 150 per ticket, 100% of which went to the Detroit-based nonprofit. At CCSS, Prentice teamed up with Pastor Faith Fowler to create a kitchen there that serves more than 700,000 meals a year.
“Matt taught our staff how to cook from scratch. He taught me to recognize hospitality and to be generous,” says Fowler. “We are heartbroken by this news and we will always be grateful to Matt for his friendship and talents.”
Although he ran many restaurants at the same time and was a darling of the local media, friends say Prentice didn’t put herself on too high a shelf, especially with his employees.
“Matt was always available for me when I needed something,” said James Beard-nominated chef James Rigato of award-winning Hazel Park restaurant Mabel Gray. Rigato worked under Prentice at Morels and Shiraz in the 2000s. “He has given me such great stories and it has always been a pleasure to work with. We have become good friends over the years and I really appreciated his help. “
Chefs Drew Cayuela and Alex Matoin will take over Prentice at Three Cats.
Gifts in memory of him can be made to Cass Community Social Services.
Twitter: @melodybaetens