Author name: Jim

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Oysters fine de claire d’Oléron

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Fat, briny oysters from Oléron, purchased direct from the producer at the Orthez Saturday market, made a quick and easy evening meal. These beauties are what they call “fines de claire” meaning that that they spent their last few weeks (before I popped them open and squeezed lemon on them) in a “claire”, a sort […]

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Slide 1

Fat, briny oysters from Oléron, purchased direct from the producer at the Orthez Saturday market, made a quick and easy evening meal. These beauties are what they call “fines de claire” meaning that that they spent their last few weeks (before I popped them open and squeezed lemon on them) in a “claire”, a sort

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Recommendations | Restaurants

St. John’s, Marylebone London, England

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The third restaurant (plus numerous bakeries) in the lineage of landmark London restaurant St. John, which has set the standard  for locally sourced, wonderfully simple and traditional English food since the 1990’s.  The original location in Farringdon still has one Michelin star, a feat for a restaurant where the decor is minimal and the simplicity

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Slide 1

The third restaurant (plus numerous bakeries) in the lineage of landmark London restaurant St. John, which has set the standard  for locally sourced, wonderfully simple and traditional English food since the 1990’s.  The original location in Farringdon still has one Michelin star, a feat for a restaurant where the decor is minimal and the simplicity

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Moving to France

Closing down our Seattle life.

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Following our dream of an extended stay in France has been a long, long road, but finally we are so close that we can feel it!  Since the sale of Le Pichet in September of 2022, my time has been filled with getting us ready to move to our house in Orthez.  You can imagine

Closing down our Seattle life. Read More »

Slide 1

Following our dream of an extended stay in France has been a long, long road, but finally we are so close that we can feel it!  Since the sale of Le Pichet in September of 2022, my time has been filled with getting us ready to move to our house in Orthez.  You can imagine

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Recommendations | Restaurants

Perbacco, San Francisco California, USA

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There is a genre of restaurant that offers a sort of communion with city life composed of the roar of a room full of happy guests, a menu of comforting dishes consistently well prepared and service that is at once breezy, unfussy, efficient and professional.  Balthazar in NYC comes to mind. Or Prunier in Paris. 

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Slide 1

There is a genre of restaurant that offers a sort of communion with city life composed of the roar of a room full of happy guests, a menu of comforting dishes consistently well prepared and service that is at once breezy, unfussy, efficient and professional.  Balthazar in NYC comes to mind. Or Prunier in Paris. 

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Moving to France

Getting the Visa

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Of the long list of things to accomplish before we can move to France, getting approved for  a Long-Stay Visa is one of the most important.  We took the first step in that process earlier this month when we made an appointment with the French Visa office in San Francisco. We had already filled out

Getting the Visa Read More »

Slide 1

Of the long list of things to accomplish before we can move to France, getting approved for  a Long-Stay Visa is one of the most important.  We took the first step in that process earlier this month when we made an appointment with the French Visa office in San Francisco. We had already filled out

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Breads | Recipes

Buttermilk biscuits à la Café Septième

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This recipe came from my friend Richmond Tracy who was head baker at legendary Seattle Café Septième, now long departed.  The original location in Belltown was a tiny hole in the wall with three south-facing tables outside, where you could sit, back against the whitewashed wall, soaked in the morning sun and enjoy a big

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Slide 1

This recipe came from my friend Richmond Tracy who was head baker at legendary Seattle Café Septième, now long departed.  The original location in Belltown was a tiny hole in the wall with three south-facing tables outside, where you could sit, back against the whitewashed wall, soaked in the morning sun and enjoy a big

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Stuff

Heading for a new adventure!

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It has now been over 3 months since I stopped being the owner of Le Pichet, more that 8 months since we sold Café Presse.  I have to admit, as much as I loved opening and operating these two restaurants, as much as I enjoyed collaborating with the the great teams we had in the

Heading for a new adventure! Read More »

Slide 1

It has now been over 3 months since I stopped being the owner of Le Pichet, more that 8 months since we sold Café Presse.  I have to admit, as much as I loved opening and operating these two restaurants, as much as I enjoyed collaborating with the the great teams we had in the

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Le Pichet

So Long, Le Pichet! Its been a great ride!

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On August 31, 2022, I spent time at Le Pichet as an employee for the very last time. It was a sad moment, as I said goodbye to colleagues, with whom I have worked side by side for many years, and also to friends we have welcomed as guests since 2000. But it was also

So Long, Le Pichet! Its been a great ride! Read More »

Slide 1

On August 31, 2022, I spent time at Le Pichet as an employee for the very last time. It was a sad moment, as I said goodbye to colleagues, with whom I have worked side by side for many years, and also to friends we have welcomed as guests since 2000. But it was also

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Stuff

Sorry for the interruption!

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If you have tried to access this blog in the last week or so, you probably got an error message instead. We are in the middle of making technical changes to the way this blog is hosted, which may result in it going off-line in the coming days as we complete this process. But never

Sorry for the interruption! Read More »

Slide 1

If you have tried to access this blog in the last week or so, you probably got an error message instead. We are in the middle of making technical changes to the way this blog is hosted, which may result in it going off-line in the coming days as we complete this process. But never

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