The
Wine Bistro History,
It all started back in 1972 when the Wine Bistro
opened its doors to the residents of Studio City. Back then nobody had
ever heard of French food, it was a discovery, an instant success. Finally
great food was coming near the folks of this corner of the valley. The
appreciation of the residents of the greater Los Angeles has been enormous
through out those years. The staff and myself are very appreciative of
your constant support.
J.B., the owner
Jean-Bernard
L. TORCHON,
Restaurateur
Biography:
Born to Franco-Haitian parents and educated in Europe, ‘JB’
as he prefers to be called,
Moved to New York City to complete his studies and graduate with a Bachelor
of Business degree.
The next Five years would see him follow one of his many dreams. JB would
attend Berklee College of music, the famed Jazz school in Boston, MA,
and from there travel making quite a successful career as a studio drummer.
The life of living from hotel room to hotel room haven taken its toll,
Jean-Bernard then headed west to Los Angeles.
In 1983 with new horizons in sights, JB resorted back to a fun profession
that had helped him earlier on: that of restaurateur. Having being a server
as such establishment as the AlGONQUIN CLUB in Boston, a white glove restaurant,
or the LANDMARK INN in New York City’s famed restaurant row and
also having bartended at busy places as HOULIHAN’S tavern, all of
these just to name a few, Jean-Bernard now in LA would take the helm of
restaurants such as Ken Frank’s LA TOQUE as its sommelier, steer
the dining room staff of LALO&BROTHERS restaurant, then go on to managed
LaFRITTE, L’EXPRESS and the famous MA MAISON restaurant.
As he puts it, having received an offer he could not refused, JB in 1994
became Alain Cuny’s partner at the WINE BISTRO in Studio City, CA.
In the past years he has transformed this quaint restaurant into the fun
welcoming, must-eat-at, reservation recommended Valley French Bistro that
it is today.
Chef Roelant began his culinary career at age 16, receiving his Professional Chef Certificate in Lausanne, Switzerland in 1978. Three years later he apprenticed with top rated Swiss chef Daniel Bouhon at "Le Cerf" in Cossonay. He then fine tuned his skills, training with Fredy Girardet at the world renowned “Crissier”, where Roelant was immediately propelled in the international spotlight as a protégé of Chef Girardet, then widely classified as the world’s greatest Chef, and featured on “60 minutes” as the culinary father of “Nouvelle Cuisine”.
Roelant was recruited in 1980 as Chef de Cuisine at the Award winning “Grape D’Or” in Stockholm. He finished his European tenure at “Chez Max” in Zollinkon-Zurich, making him the youngest Chef at a top 3-star Michelin rated restaurant in Switzerland.
Peter arrived in 1982 in Los Angeles, bringing his signature style to the West Coast, specifically at L’Orangerie, where he stayed until 1988 transforming the beautiful restaurant into a critically acclaimed top food destination.
Roelant left L’Orangerie in 1988 to become chef-partner and general manager at the “Four Oaks” restaurant in Bel-Air, Los Angeles where his ever-evolving modern French/American Cuisine and Award Winning wine list, received praise by critics and gourmets alike.
Roelant was nominated “Chef of the Year” in 2002 by a panel of food professionals in California, and again in 2003 by the Food Writers Association and was inducted in the prestigious “Académie Culinaire de France” in 2004.
Chef Peter Roelant continues to receive national acclaim for his flavorful fusion of haute healthy cuisine. His passion for freshness, creativity and signature style mark a culmination of nearly 30 years in the culinary industry.
It is an honor to have him here at the Wine Bistro, where as he says
“ I welcome the challenge of creating superior quality bistro fare
while respecting our niche as a neighborhood eatery”.
Written By Doug Haywood For Studio City Lifestyle:
One of the greatest pleasures of spending time in Paris is becoming a “regular at your local eatery. Walking in and finding your favorite table waiting for you, that special dish on the menu, and even the unfinished bottle of Bordeaux from your recent past visit waiting behind the bar, and the comfort of knowing you will enjoy uncomplicated food that satisfies, while surrounded by familiar faces, is what keeps you coming back. The Parisian all have their own home away from home, a café or restaurant that has their loyalties. And now I have mine.
The conviviality starts at the door with the charming and oh so French, JB Torchon, with a quip or a story as you are led to your seat – sometimes it appears as if the ladies eagerly line up for their kiss on both cheeks!
The wine Bistro features two Prix fixes at reasonable prices, which does not limit you to a few items but rather allows you the choice of an appetizer, entrée and dessert,
Appetizers range from the classic onion soup gratinée, escargots and homemade duck pate to the less familiar Cajun shrimp popcorn or feuilleté antillais . The selection of entrees always includes a variety of fresh fish. Duck is available nightly. The choices of meat, poultry and pastas are equally grand. And just when you thought you could make another decision, you are confronted with a delightful array of home made dessert. The apple TarteTatin is truly one of the best outside of France .
Considering that the Wine Bistro has been prospering for the past 26 years, I do not know why it's taken me so long to find it.