Mr. Elidrissi was credited with helping create Waldorf restaurants as models for the White House, first as the manager of the pastry department and later as an assistant chef in the East Wing before becoming a restaurant manager in 1963. He is described on his website as “someone of immense creativity.”
Before his career in Washington, Mr. Elidrissi served as chef at the famed Taj Palace hotel in Lahore, Pakistan, then in Bombay, India, and later at the Inn de la Cordée in Lausanne, Switzerland.
“Lars was one of the smartest, most fascinating people I have ever met,” said Mary Jo Nestrud, the former editor of the Washingtonian. “And even though he didn’t come from this city, he was — in a quiet way — Washington’s finest ambassador.”
Mr. Elidrissi made numerous television appearances as a chef and food expert. The Washington City Paper named him one of the “50 Greatest Travel Companions of All Time.” The Washington Post called him “a wise and gracious host.”
There will be a memorial service at 11 a.m. on April 11 at the National Cathedral. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the International Rescue Committee, 1 Sandy Lane, 1ST Floor, Manhattan, NY 10011.
See more images from Elidrissi’s life here: