About Provence
Meet Executive Chef Baptist Knaven
Born in the Netherlands, Baptist Knaven spent his formative years studying and working in the south of France and other regions of the Mediterranean. “My passion became mastering the cuisines of France and the Mediterranean. I understood the important role local farmers and producers played in the quality of the cuisines and wanted to create dishes that exemplified the essential relationship between the farm, the artisan producer and the table.”
Throughout his career, it has been Chef Baptist’s motivation to create exciting menus and dishes that exemplify this relationship. “The joy of being in Carrboro, with its Farmers’ Market and plentitude of local producers,” Chef Baptist says, “is the opportunity to showcase the best in local, seasonal products.”
Chef Baptist Knaven came to the United States in 2003 and earned accolades at his wildly successful Mediterranean restaurant, Café Zito, located on the North Carolina coast. Moving to the Triangle, he joined the restaurant Provence to work alongside owner and creator Felix Roux, a French native of the Provence region.
Meet Front of House Manager Pierre Wertheimer
Pierre Wertheimer was born and raised in Paris into a large family with a passion for good food and wine. He studied at the Rouen Business School in Normandy and graduated with the equivalent of an MBA.
Pierre emigrated to the United States more than 30 years ago to create “France International,” a mail/internet auction business specializing in collectible stamps. With clients in over 50 countries, Pierre spent several decades travelling the world. Pierre sold France international in 2001, to become the sole U.S. representative of the Touraine-Loire Valley Agency.
In 2005 he returned to his roots, focusing his career in the wine industry. He has been the Wine Manager of several large stores in the Triangle, and Director of Operations for an Importer of French wines. He founded “The French Wine Bureau LLC”, a consulting firm for French wine producers seeking US export advice.
Pierre brings many years of entrepreneurial, managerial and marketing experience to Provence. With a strong knowledge of wines from all over the world, along with a profound appreciation for authentic French cuisine, he is a great resource for pairing your food with just the right wine.