I write of a true and tragic tale; one that sounds like a script for a movie. The people are real and the local family suffers a terrible loss.

Recently, I entered a contest to win a day in the kitchen with Chef Jean-Stephane Poinard, owner of Bistro de Leon in St. Augustine, Florida.  I always thought the restaurant name came from Ponce de Leon, the Spaniard who claimed he discovered the Fountain of Youth in that city.  Little did I realize the name also worked for Lyon, the city regarded as the culinary capital of France and former Poinard home. 

I hope to win the contest to naturally improve my cooking skills, impress my guests, and also to meet Chef Jean-Stephane as he seems so likeable in this video. He is a fifth generation chef and a true bon vivant.