Mobile Development Thread

[Port_of_Bama]

Bonjour, y'all! Bistro Escoffier opens in midtown Mobile

The cook has an interesting history I can`t wait to try this place out.

MOBILE, Alabama -- As he stirred a pot filled with heavy cream, sugar and fresh vanilla, Chef Lee Thompson couldn't stop smiling. “Low and slow,” he said of his technique, adding nine egg yolks and one whole egg to the mixture. He was making crème brulee for one of the first groups to eat at his new restaurant, in preparation for its opening.

He spent years dreaming of the moment the doors of Bistro Escoffier would open for business. And tonight, the new, 42-seat French eatery will officially welcome diners at 1714 Dauphin St., in the spot that was once home to Mobile Popcorn. (The restaurant opened last night with limited seating only, and should receive its liquor license next week, according to its Facebook page.)

Thompson’s love for French cuisine might be in his blood. His grandfather, F. F. Escoffier – whose portrait, painted by local artist Devlin Wilson, hangs in a prominent place in the dining room – is related via “a dotted-line connection” to Auguste Escoffier, a renowned French chef born in 1846 and credited with popularizing French cooking techniques. He was the first chef in what became the Ritz-Carlton chain of fine hotels.

Bistro Escoffier will specialize in casual fine dining, said Thompson’s business partner, David Calametti, who calls himself “a project junkie.

http://blog.al.com/live/2014/01/bonjour_yall_bistro_escoffier.html#incart_river