A trip to Bistro in Cannon Beach , Oregon is an elegant evening affair that feels a lot like being invited into someone else ’ s home for a luscious dinner party … five nights a week .
By day the place is quietly tucked between flower gardens and a wandering brick promenade lined with cafes and bakeries that bustle with tourists during Cannon Beach ’ s annual summer cosmopolitan migration . If you weren ’ t particularly looking for it , you maybe wouldn ’ t notice the Bistro from the road , or pick it out as a world-class , heavily-curated locus of fine dining . From the street it presents as a wellloved family house with a wrap-around porch and washed shingles for siding , a common sighting on family and vacation homes along the North Oregon coast .
Those who make it in the door are greeted warmly by a wash of aromas , freshbaked breads , savory simmering sauces , cozy arrangements , clamoring patrons , and decadent art .
At night , however , Chef Jack and JJ Stevenson open their doors and offer dinner service to adoring locals and curious tourists alike – at least , those with the foresight to call ahead . Those who make it in the door are greeted warmly by a wash of aromas , fresh-baked breads , savory simmering sauces , cozy arrangements , clamoring patrons , and decadent art . Not to mention the Stevensons themselves , who take great care to get to know everyone who comes to their restaurant for dinner . JJ works the front of the house and keeps the books , tracking reservations the traditional way , using a landline phone , pen , and paper . She tends to expect people as they come in , taking care to remember recurring names and faces . Chef Jack , too , is known to break from the prep line for a stroll out into the dining room whenever the ambience of the evening calls for it , which it often does .
The Stevensons have owned the location for six years , since Jack , a chef of considerable acclaim , rode into town on his motorcycle from San Diego . They happily work every day to continue a legacy that first started almost thirty years ago , when the Bistro first debuted under different ownership . Today , there is rarely a walk-in availability . Live music nearly always plays in the dining room , and most of the entertainers have been coming back every week for years .
Over time , the Stevensons have gotten used to meeting repeat customers who make time for
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