Chef Jack , who has a long history in fine dining including executive roles at places like the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in San Francisco , has a strict imperative against serving food that ’ s too obvious or easily replicable .
dinner at the Bistro on annual vacations , many of whom started doing so before Jack and JJ had any stake in the place . The local crowds know , too , that the spot is perfect for intimate events amongst big groups , and the Stevensons have gotten to know their customer base quite well through the reunions and receptions that they ’ re trusted with . They ’ ve made a habit of entertaining the younger patrons with art and stories , finding delight in seeing who all return to the restaurant as they grow older .
Evident devotion goes into curating the highest quality ingredients and presentation across plates . Chef Jack , who has a long history in fine dining including executive roles at places like the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in San Francisco , has a strict imperative against serving food that ’ s too obvious or easily replicable . He elevates his work further by only incorporating ingredients that he can acquire through reliable , local connections . Sometimes , he will workshop his recipes — inspired largely by classic French cuisine and the home chefs that epitomize the genre — for years before putting them on the menu . His prototype-plates are tasted and critiqued by friends and neighbors from around Cannon Beach whose warm receptions help refine the homestyle eating experience for larger audiences .
The Bistro offers seasonal menus of fromscratch dishes , the simplicity of which makes them even more perfect . They call it “ food without confusion ,” a saying that has become a philosophy and restaurant motto which encapsulates the Stevenson ’ s commitment to transparency in cooking as a way of speaking directly to their clientele through their menu . In being straightforward
with their descriptions and their intentions , the Stevensons create sensible expectations that they candidly fulfill to a lofty standard . In doing so , they bring a welcome sense of comfort and familiarity to the otherwise exuberant world of fine dining . For the Stevensons , service is paramount , and is where all pretension dissolves into a mutual discovery of geniality and recognition between themselves and the oceanside community that they serve .
As their reputation has grown much outside the typically unhurried , mist-laden Cannon Beach , they ’ ve stayed close with their neighbors by the beach , as well as the usual crowd of tourists whose habitual revisits become friendlier and more familiar each time they stop by . Jack and JJ laugh and chatter with each other about dreams of one day expanding to the other side of the road , the only stretch in town that ’ s closer to the ocean than their current spot . They ’ d have to be lucky to get it , they ’ ll tell you , but they have bonds within the community that make them a bonafide favorite both in and outside of Cannon Beach .
The Bistro is committed to both elegance and familiarity , offering an elevated menu with a homestyle presentation that draws crowds to fill the house five nights a week . The space is often candlelit , such that shadows dance across freshly painted walls where charcoal drawings and oil paints — some for sale , some not — make their home amongst artisanal lampshades and carefully placed table settings . JJ spends her evenings in the dining room attending to patrons as if they were guests in her home , while Chef Jack sees to it that food is thoughtfully prepared and elegantly plated , a unique standard refined through years of repetition .
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