Although Ruthie Rogers never planned to cook for a living, she managed to become a famous chef and restaurateur whose Italian-influenced cuisine—simple, seasonal, and market-driven—draws both gourmands and superstars to her restaurant, The River Cafe London. It’s not unusual to see the likes of Victoria Beckham, Emily Blunt, Phoebe Philo, and Paul McCartney tucking into their favorite dishes, the steady hum of the open kitchen behind them.
Back in the ’80s, The River Cafe was a humbler place, serving the architects, designers, and artists working in the West London warehouse complex where the eatery is housed. (The architecture firm of Rogers’s husband, the late Richard Rogers, had transformed the riverside oil depository into a creative hub.) Despite having no experience, Rogers signed on to cook and convinced Rose Gray, who…
