Master Chef Friedman Paul Erhardt “CHEF TELL” (November 5, 1943 – October 26, 2007)

Master Chef, entrepreneur, entertainer, and restaurateur – it is hard to find the

designation that best describes Chef Tell Erhardt. As a friend, neighbor, and business associate, if I had to define him with one word, I would say Patriot. Although he grew up in Nazi Germany, he experienced the kindness of Americans during the Allied Occupation. Tell loved America. Isn’t it amazing that those who love America the most are those who experienced first-hand the oppression of Nazi Germany?

Tell trained in the classic European Culinary Tradition through years of apprenticeships at the finest hotels and restaurants in France, Germany, and Sweden. Chef Tell gained his first major award at the age of 27, when he received the Gold Medal at the Cooking Olympics and named “Chef of the Year”. In 1970, he also received his master’s degree in cooking from the University of Heidelberg. He then progressed through the ranks of the finest dining establishments in Europe. One of most ambitious moves was to leave the environment in which he had already achieved recognition and start over in the United States. He did this at the age of 28. Within a brief period of time, he achieved national recognition through his appearances on “Evening Magazine, PM Magazine, and Hour Magazine, “Live with Regis and Kathy Lee”, “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous”, and the Turner News Network. He helped in the development of Health Craft cookware and featured in the company’s infomercials on the PAX Television Network.

If he were alive today, he would tell you that his most important accomplishment was becoming a US citizen. Chef Tell loved America, and all the opportunities it provided.

Friedman Paul Erhardt “CHEF TELL” (November 5, 1943 – October 26, 2007)