Pioneering chef Floyd Cardoz died on March 24th at Mountainside Hospital in Montclair, New Jersey from complications related to COVID-19. He was 59.
Cardoz’s hospitalization was confirmed by his hospitality company, the Hunger Inc., on March 17th following his return from a trip to India.
The acclaimed chef made his initial impact on New York’s culinary scene with the opening of his Indian concept Tabla in 1998. Launched in partnership with Danny Meyer and Union Square Hospitality Group, Tabla accrued three stars from The New York Times before closing in 2010. Cardoz’s fruitful partnership with Meyer led to the opening of North End Grill, in addition to Indian concepts like Paowalla, which eventually evolved in the Bombay Bread Bar. In his native Mumbai, Cardoz also opened the Bombay Canteen and the Goan eatery O Pedro.
In an Instagram post on March 25, Meyer expressed his condolences as well as his thanks for Cardoz:
“Few people have done more than Floyd Cardoz to impact an entire industry, the career trajectories of more cooks, or the palates of more restaurant goers. He was beyond talented as a cook. He was a super-taster, big-hearted, stubborn as the day is long, and the most loyal friend, husband, and dad you could imagine,” the caption read. “My heart is just broken. His life and career was full of triumph and adversity. We opened and closed two restaurants together and in that time he never once lost his sense of love for those he’d worked with, mentored, and mattered to. He made monumental contributions to our industry and to my organization, and his passing leaves us with a gaping hole.”
