Born in Saint-Hilaire-de-Loulay in the Loire region of the French countryside, Thierry started cooking at home; his parents were farmers, and as the oldest child, it fell to him to become acquainted with the family’s hyperlocal and exclusively seasonal existence, eating what they grew.

By age 14, he’d started a cooking apprenticeship in Anjou. At 16, he was training in kitchens in France including Le Mont Saint Michel in Normandy, Chamonix in the French Alps, and Hendaye in the Pays Basque.

When he was 20, Thierry came to the United States and worked for several years in top restaurants in Chicago (La Fontaine) and Los Angeles (The Regency Club, The Seventh Street Bistro). He met Kathy in 1983 while both were working at the trendy restaurant Mangia.

Thierry Rautureau and Kathleen Encell are married in Kathy's mother Arlene's backyard in Los Angeles.

Thierry moves to Seattle and purchases Rover's restaurant. He begins offering his own fine dining of Northwest contemporary cuisine with a French accent.

Thierry and Kathy give birth to Ryan, their first son, at Swedish Hospital in Seattle.

Thierry and Kathy's second son Adrian is born at Swedish Hospital in Seattle.

After nominations in 1993, 1995, and 1997, in 1998 Thierry won Best Chef: Northwest by the James Beard Foundation. Other culinary awards include: 

• Seattle Magazine: Restaurant of the Year, Readers’ Choice Award (1998)
• The Wine Spectator: Top Fine Dining Restaurant in Seattle (1998)
• Food & Wine: Best French Food in Seattle (1998)
• Nations Restaurant News: Fine Dining Hall of Fame Award (1998)
• Les Maitres Cuisiniers de France (induction) (1998)
• Seattle Magazine: Best Service, Readers’ Choice Award (1999)
• The Chevalier de l’Ordre Du Mérite Agricole (2004)
• Gourmet: Number One Top Seattle Choice (1996, 1998, 2000)
• Seattle Magazine: Best Overall, Critics’ Choice Award (2000, 2001)
• DiRoNA: Distinguished Dining Ambassador (2002)
• L’Ordre Du Mérite Agricole: Chevalier (2004)
• Washington Wine Restaurant Awards: Best Service (2004)
• Wine Spectator: Best of Award Of Excellence (2003, 2004, 2005)
• DiRoNa: Outstanding Food and Service (1997 - 2005)
• Top Ten Best: Seattle Magazine (2005)
• Washington Wine Restaurant Awards: Best Washington Wine Reserve (2003 - 2005)
• Wine Spectator: Award Of Excellence (1997 - 2002, 2008)
• Mobil Travel Guide: Four Stars (1998 - 2008)
• American Automobile Association: Four Diamond Award (1998 - 2008)
• Zagat: Best Service in Seattle (2002 - 2009)
• Zagat: The 25 Most Important Restaurants (2013)
• Seattle Met: Best New Restaurant of 2014: Loulay (2014)
• Thrillist: Seattle's 10 best new burgers (2014)
• Thrillist: The 21 best new restaurants in America (2014)
• Thrillist: Seattle's 11 best new restaurants (2014)

Thierry begins sharing recipes, cooking tips, and good-humored banter with Chef Tom Douglas on this radio program on KIRO 97.3 FM. The show originally runs until 2010, then gets picked up again in 2012.

Working with author Cynthia Nims and Ten Speed Press, Thierry's 256-page cookbook "Rover's: Recipes from Seattle's Chef in the Hat" is published.

The popular bistro, Luc, opens in a space adjacent to Rover's. Luc was named after Thierry's father.

Thierry appeared on two seasons of the reality television show "Top Chef Masters" (2010, 2012). In 2013 he produced and starred in the series "Kitchen Circus."  Other TV appearances included Food Network's “Dining Around” and “Ready, Set, Cook!," Ming Tsai's “Simply Ming," the PBS series “French Fest," and the Discovery Channel series “Great Chefs from the Great Cities."  Thierry was also a celebrity chef judge for the PBS series "MasterChef USA."

Loulay Kitchen and Bar opens in the Sheraton. It was named for the small agricultural community where Thierry was born in France. Loulay is chosen as Best New Restaurant of 2014 by Seattle Met magazine.

Ryan marries his long-time sweetheart Celina Hayashi on Maui, and she becomes the first daughter in the family. The Hayashi Ohana and the Rautureau Family join together and celebrate the first wedding of the newer generation, with Thierry cooking for the rehearsal dinner.

Thierry partners with SSP America on LouLou Market & Bar, a French/Pacific Northwest eatery at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (located near Gate B3).