Credit: Courtesy Erica Coffee
Cleveland has lost a talented chef and enduring fixture of the local restaurant scene. But more than that, we have lost a supremely good, humble and funny person who enriched the lives of everyone around him. Those who worked with Pete Joyce — or were lucky to call him a friend — are reeling today from such a devastating loss.

Diners might recall Joyce from his days as executive chef at Blue Point Grille, or from the charming Bistro on Lincoln Park in Tremont, where he was chef-owner. Later, he worked at Crop Bistro, where he became Culinary Director for the entire restaurant group. From there he was hired by Barrio to oversee its commissary and all restaurants in that quickly expanding empire. Most recently, Joyce had been working as a consulting chef at Proof, helping to develop the menu and recipes for that new Tremont eatery.

Joyce had suffered a heart attack two weeks ago and last night lost the battle.

“Pete was the most humble and talented guy I ever worked with,” says his boss at Crop (and former roommate) Steve Schimoler. “He was unselfish to a fault and even-keeled. Even in the deepest weeds he never showed panic or a temper when someone fucked up. He was a great model for so many of our young employees and I know his legacy lives on in so many people he touched. There a few people I can say I really loved, Pete is one of them.”

This article appears in Sep 9-22, 2020.

For 25 years, Douglas Trattner has worked as a full-time freelance writer, editor and author. His work as co-author on Michael Symon's cookbooks have earned him four New York Times Best-Selling Author honors, while his longstanding role as Scene dining editor has garnered awards of its own.