French chef and restaurateur Jean-Stephane Poinard has finally come to America. His arrival in St. Augustine, Florida isn’t just for a brief visit, but to fulfill his childhood dream of living and owning a restaurant in the States.
St. Augustine’s European atmosphere lured Jean-Stephane and his wife Valerie here, and their brand new Bistro de Leon opened on Thursday, May 15th 2008 on Cathedral Place.
This is a restaurant that fits into its neighborhood – Bistro de Quartier. It’s a small cozy café in a cozy town, like at home in Lyon.
French home cuisine – “la cuisine de meres” – is what propelled Poinard (a 5th generation chef) to the top of the elitist gastronomic scene in his home country since 1998.
The new Bistro closely resembles the style and spirit of his 5 restaurants in Lyon:
- Le Panier a Salade
- Les Ventres Jaunes
- Le “Un, deux, trois”
- Les Pampres Rouges
- Hotel Restaurant de Paris
Lyon’s Hotel Restaurant de Paris is in the Poinard family since 1962, and it’s where this splendid young restaurateur with a pedigree came into the limelight – delighting international celebrities with his exuberant youthful passion and pleasure in cooking.
As a member of the exclusive Les Toques Blanches Lyonnaises, Poinard is one of the honored chefs invited into the rare fraternity of only 100 members. The organization is led by Paul Bocuse, recognized as the finest chef of the 20th Century and ambassador of modern French cuisine.
St. Augustine’s Bistro de Leon opens early, with an authentic French breakfast served when the rhythm of St. Augustine wakens as the clock towers chime eight o’clock.
The kitchen is alive with the surprises of each day’s bounty through lunch and into dinner, where guests can enjoy a 3-course meal for approximately $20!
Carrying the integrity forward from the farmers and fishermen who nurture their produce and fresh seafood, Poinard’s dishes taste like the ingredients that he carefully selects daily.
In his charming French accent, Poinard exclaims:
When you cook, you have to love people. My cuisine is like a symphony; I cook to the rhythms of music – and it’s fun. I don’t make my food adapt to me… I get a feeling for the food that’s the freshest I can procure. The menu changes often, serving only homemade breads & pastries, entrees, salads, ice cream and sorbet… everything authentically from home.
Valerie brings her family’s winery savoir-faire to the new St. Augustine dining experience. From Domaine de la Fond-Moiroux, where many respected Beaujolais, Brouilly and Gamay wines were produced, she was the Maitre de Chais winemaker, winning awards like the Golden Medaille Nationale of Caves Particulieres (independent winery).
Together, Jean-Stephane and Valerie Poinard invite their guests to “Enjoy the Bistro as if it were Beaujolais Nouveau every day of the year and live the moment with us”.
Bistro de Leon
#12 Cathedral Place
St. Augustine
Florida 32084
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- Ingo Möller Appointed Executive Chef at New Maldive Resort
Tags: Beaujolais Nouveau, bistro, Chef, France, French cuisine, Lyon, Restaurant, St. Augustine, United States, Wine
