Both lunch and dinner menus at Le Garage clearly showcase the owners approach: think internationally, execute locally.
On a bike ride in 2008, good friends Bruno Denis and Olivier Souvestre came across the pier of Sausalito, California and discovered an old warehouse surrounded by lounging boats along the luscious bay across the other side of Golden Gate Bridge. Bruno, a business man who grew up in Versailles then spent 18 years working in Dublin restaurants, and Olivier, a chef from Brittany and began his chef training at the age of 18 throughout Paris, originally thought the location was too small for a restaurant. But they wanted to open “something,” so considered using the antique warehouse space for a cafe. That something turned into Le Garage.
On April 17th, 2008, Le Garage opened its doors with a simple lunch menu. Immediate and continuous positive reviews enriched the notoriety of Le Garage. A month and a half later, the restaurant expanded with a dinner menu as a response to the overwhelming buzz. Two years later, the entrepreneur and executive chef partnered once again to open an additional restaurant: L’Appart Resto in San Anselmo in Marin County, CA.
A sample of the menu is comprised of: fresh local Dungeness crab with Morro bay avocados, red beet salad with crispy goat cheese, duck confit parmentier and oxtail bourguigon with baby carrots. Both lunch and dinner menus at Le Garage clearly showcase the owners approach: think internationally, execute locally.
“There are two types of French bistros,” Bruno, the General Manager, explains, “there’s one kind that stays with the discipline of French schools, with classic dishes: coq au vin or boeuf bourguignon. But there are chefs who travel a lot, so they bring different types of cultural cuisine into a French bistro menu.” At Le Garage, a few French classics make their appearances on the seasonal changing carte: croque monsieur/madame, charcuterie tartine. But the kitchen staff, led by Olivier, also uses a wide variety of Californian produce. “I don’t think it’s fair to do one type of dish and say: that’s it. Because we still have to please our clients while keeping a bit of a twist between French bistro and whatever we find around the area. It doesn’t make this restaurant not French at all.” Bruno explicits.
Sausalito, the calming city situated right across the northern part of Golden Gate Bridge and the bustling city of San Francisco, fosters an influential, affluent and artistic demographic of the Bay Area. Catering to a clientele that typically dines out on most occasions, is what Bruno considers as: a good thing. He believes that Americans know our food, we know what we like. It may be a challenge, but he constantly keeps the quality of his work at the level of expectations according to the people of Marin County.
When posed with the question: what does the menu say about the chef? Olivier reflects upon a part of himself. “I cook with the mentality of what I would personally like to eat when I go out. It’s about generosity. With any kind of dish, for example, there’s a million kinds of tomatoes, so I will pick the particular one that I think tastes the best, rather than the kind that will generate the most profit for us.” According to Olivier, such details result to “talent,” the kind that upholds the perspective of giving people what they’re paying for, if not, more.
PHOTO LE GARAGE BISTROContrary to popular beliefs: the French are potentially difficult to please in the art of wine pairing, Bruno doesn’t believe there is a better wine between French or Californian. “For me, of course there’s always a better pairing to suit a certain taste of food, but there’s a difference between an attempt to pair things perfectly and going out for a meal with a glass of something that you absolutely enjoy.” In other words, there is absolutely nothing wrong with pairing a glass of red with an entree of rainbow trout.
The way that Bruno and Olivier go about conducting their businesses is key: honesty. Bruno indicates, “Watch the way people look at you, and their desires about you. Watching their expectations of the restaurant, the reaction after they eat the food. For Le Garage, it can be French, but we can’t leave it just at who we are, we have to think about the locals too. You want to keep your signature and your identity, but you also want to make sure guests return.” This is how the duo sustains honesty. They listen to what people want.
Many chefs, especially in Europe, use the analogy of ownership of restaurants to the game of football (their version of soccer.) Bruno and Olivier are no exceptions. With an open kitchen that bares the drama within, they view the start of each day as a kick-off. Competition lies in their services, the quality of every dish. “At the end of the day, it’s important to say ‘hello’ to people when they come in, and make sure to say ‘thank you’ when they leave.” Just as the interview was wrapping up, they paused for a few seconds to say “au revoir” to a group French customers leaving Le Garage. Casual yet extremely French and honest.
Here are some recs from Bruno and Olivier on great foodies spots in San Francisco:
Bouche – 603 Bush Street San Francisco, CA 94108
Spruce – 3640 Sacramento Street San Francisco, CA 94118
Boulevard – 1 Mission Street San Francisco, CA 94105
Book your reservations at Le Garage and L’Appart Resto.
