Chef Larry Carlile, who most recently ran kitchens at Earnest (formerly known as Hemingway’s) and the newly opened Fat Kat Slim’s, died last week from an apparent suicide. He was 39.
The well-liked Carlile had been a fixture in Nashville restaurants for the past decade. He was the opening chef at Germantown’s Silo in 2012 and Hemingway’s in 2017 and also spent time at Coco’s Italian Market, Radius10, Lime and Virago. Carlile was also known for his participation in the Scene’s 2018 Iron Fork competition.
Friends became concerned after Carlisle didn’t show up for work last week. Fat Kat Slim’s and Earnest partner Paul Cercone, who has worked with Carlile for years, says that Carlile had struggled with depression. Family services will be held tonight in Indiana, and an industry event celebrating Carlile’s life will be held at the Attic at Fat Kat Slim’s on Wednesday, Dec. 18.
“We’re welcoming anyone in the family who knew him or wants to just hug someone,” Cercone says.
News began seeping through Nashville’s chef community over the weekend, stunning many who knew Carlile as a genuinely sweet person as well as a talented chef able to put his own spin on comfort food classics with great success. Cercone says a love of Southern cuisine was at Carlile’s core.
“My sweet friend, I miss you more than words will ever describe,” wrote Holly Peters, who succeeded Carlile as executive chef at Earnest, in a tribute to her friend over the weekend. “I’ve never had a person I shared so much with. You were my partner and my friend these past 2 years. You taught me so much professionally and you showed me how to be passionate again. At the Halloween party you stayed right next to me and texted me the whole time. I know how hard you tried. I believed in you then and I believe in you now. Larry, your light will always shine in my eyes. I don’t know how I’m going to do this without you, but I promise to fight.”
Cercone echoed Peters’ sentiments.
“I can’t think of anyone who didn’t like Larry,” Cercone says. “Everyone loved him. He was so talented at what he did. You could always have a laugh or a talk with them. I don’t remember us ever yelling at each other. We’ve been trying to remove that from the industry. You don’t do that anymore. You don’t throw pots and pans and scream at anyone, and I never saw him do it. His gentleness and that smirk on his face are why we’ve been together for so long.”
The restaurant industry, known for long hours and high stress, has a higher-than-average suicide rate, according to a three-year Centers for Disease Control study released in 2016. Anyone who is experiencing suicidal thoughts can reach out for immediate help to the National Suicide Prevention lifeline (1-800-273-TALK) or the Crisis Text Line (text to 741741).
In recent years, industry-specific organizations have formed to address some of these issues. Some of those include:
- I Got Your Back, a project to provide skills and tools to identify and talk about mental health issues in restaurants.
- Fair Kitchens, an advocacy group for healthier kitchen working environments.
- A Balanced Glass, a health and wellness group for beverage professionals.
- Healthy Hospo, a community interest company focused on advice, support and training for mental and physical health in the hospitality industry.
Food writer and editor Kat Kinsman has compiled a helpful list of all of these resources and more at her
Chefs With Issuessite.
