Innovative Chef, Homaro Cantu, Dead After Suspected Suicide
CHICAGO, April 15 (UPI) — Chicago’s whimsical, science-minded chef, Homaro Cantu, who combined fine-dining with an overflow of fun, was found dead Tuesday afternoon in the same building he had planned to launch a brewery, the Chicago Tribune reports.
In an apparent suicide-by-hanging, the 38-year-old’s death is still being investigated by police, an official autopsy is scheduled for Wednesday.
Cantu was a chef at the popular Chicago restaurant Moto, located in the West Loop area of the city, and owner of local sugar-free coffee shop Berrista.
In 2011, Cantu hosted a TED talk called “Cooking as Alchemy,” where the famed cook spoke alongside then-business partner Ben Roche about serving “edible pictures,” carbonated fruit and a “Cuban cigar” made from the classic pork sandwich.
Born in Washington in 1976, Cantu was homeless between the ages of 6 and 9. He told Fast Company that his ultimate goal was to “deliver food to the masses that are starving.”
NBC News reports that Cantu’s widow, chef Katie McGowan, posted a photo on Facebook of the couple, asking viewers to remember her husband’s generosity.
“Among his many gifts, he was the most generous person I ever met,” McGowan wrote. “If you are of the many many who asked him for a favor, or help, I am positive he made a phone call on your behalf, or found you a job, or comped your meal.”
Cantu and McGowan celebrated their 12th wedding anniversary in March.
Trouble started emerging for Cantu in recent months after a Moto investor filed a lawsuit accusing the chef of pocketing profits from the restaurant to fund his other ventures, says Eater.com. When reached for comment, Cantu dismissed the lawsuit as one “without merit” and declined further comment.
Friends of the renowned chef, local and celebrity alike, are paying homage to his legacy over social media. Travel Channel host Andrew Zimmern tweeted, “My friend had an infinite capacity for helping others and in the end couldn’t help himself.”
