Should you walk down Cathedral Street in St. Augustine and catch a whiff of sensuous aromas coming from Bistro de Leon, I dare you not to enter. This casual French-style eatery is one of my favorite local restaurants. I enjoy if for the small tables bunched together that create a warm and casual atmosphere. I like buying items from the display case to take home. But, what I truly love is the food prepared by Chef Jean-Stephane Poinard.

Poinard is a 5th generation chef brought up in the gastronomic capital of Lyon, France where his family owned Hotel Restaurant de Paris. He is also  a member of the exclusive Les Toques Blanches Lyonnaises, one of the privileged chefs invited into the rare fraternity of only 100 members.  French home cuisine “la cuisine de meres” is what has propelled Poinard to the top of the elitist gastronomic scene since 1998.

On Friday, November 18, 2011 he will be the honored Chef at New York City’s James Beard House, preparing a 7-course dinner for eighty guests. What an accolade for Chef Jean-Stephane and St. Augustine.