Renowned Louisville chef Dean Corbett, 56, dies of heart attack

Louisville chef Dean Corbett, known for his restaurants as well as his philanthropy, died Saturday in Louisville at the age of 56 of a heart attack.

Corbett operated Corbett’s, An American Place, which for almost a decade was one of Louisville’s best-known white-tablecloth restaurants, known for fine American fare served in an historic farmhouse. He also opened Equus and Jack’s Lounge.

According to his obituary, he was completely self-taught and worked his way through the ranks at a variety of restaurants. A native of Portland, Ore., Corbett began working in Louisville at Casa Grisanti before becoming sous chef at Sixth Avenue. He purchased Equus in 1985 and developed it into a four-star restaurant. He opened Jack’s Lounge next door in 2000, named for his late father and former business partner.

In 2007, he opened his namesake restaurant, Corbett’s, and garnered national attention and a four-diamond rating from AAA; the restaurant closed 2017.

In 2009, Corbett was inducted into the Honorable Order of the Golden Toque and received the Kentucky Restaurant Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

He was invited to participate by the James Beard Foundation in a dinner at the Beard House in New York in 2010 featuring top chefs from the Bluegrass, one of the four times Corbett cooked at Beard House, and in 2017 he cooked for a gala benefit for the Jennifer Lawrence Foundation in Louisville.

On social media, he was remembered for his influence in the rising Kentucky culinary scene and for his giving spirit by many, including Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer, who tweeted, “very sad to hear about the passing of Dean Corbett, a trailblazer in our city’s dining scene.”

According to his obituary, Corbett began several food-themed fundraisers, including Bourbon & Bowties, that raised millions for charities including Gilda’s Club, Norton’s Children’s Hospital and more. He also co-hosted “Secrets of Louisville Chefs” on TV and co-hosted “The ChefBoyArDean Show” on Talk Radio WKJK.

He is survived by his wife and three sons; funeral mass will be 10 a.m. Wednesday at St. Albert the Great Church in Louisville; visitation is 3 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at Pearson Funeral Home.

This story was originally published October 14, 2018 at 4:46 PM with the headline "Renowned Louisville chef Dean Corbett, 56, dies of heart attack."