The pair from Portland aim to give a modern twist to classic French food with the new restaurant, which they expect to open in late February at the former Curry’ s Landing location. Steak frites, king salmon, creme bruleé and more will appear on the menu designed by Dominic, a graduate of the Oregon Culinary Institute.

More basic foods like a French-inspired pasta or burger will also be available, along with a full bar and a brunch menu on weekends with foods like croque madame( a breakfast sandwich with an egg on top), sandwiches, French toast and more.

Lumière, which means“ light” in French, is Bill and Dominic’ s first restaurant venture, and they want it to be a destination in itself— like going to a sports game or

STAFF PHOTO: JAIME VALDEZ

Dominic Berry, co-owner of Lumière, a French restaurant in Charbonneau Village, will be the head chef of the restaurant.

movie theater. Dominic believes flavor and presentation will make the restaurant stand out.

“ I want it to be an experience when you come sit down to eat, from the time you walk in to the time you leave,” Dominic said. While Charbonneau has Lux Sucre bakery and The Marketplace Café, Bill sees Lumière filling a niche in the community.

Bill, a retired math teacher, and Dominic began talking about opening a restaurant a decade ago, and they chose the French-inspired theme around three

years ago after Dominic’ s experiences in culinary school and working in the industry.

“( French cuisine) inspires a lot of different cuisines,” Dominic said, adding that some may not be aware of its influence.“ So I was like,‘ I want to jump on that and then create a menu that can be a little bit more diverse than just simply what everybody knows French food to be.”

Dominic described classic French food as typically including a protein, starch, vegetable and sauces, with a focus on flavor and technique— quality over quantity. With the Lumière menu, he wants to blend classic foods with modern trends so

Bill Berry shows the work being done to a space once occupied by Curry’ s Landing in Charbonneau.

STAFF PHOTO: JAIME VALDEZ

the French dishes are recognizable, but have a more approachable presentation.

Examples include rearranging how steak and vegetables are placed on the plate, or having“ soup flights” where customers can sample multiple soups at once, Bill and Dominic said.

Outside of food, the duo want the restaurant to have a community feeling. They want customers to feel like“ they really want to be” at the restaurant, Bill said.

“ We want to be anchored in being known for great food and a variety of food, but want the environment to be really welcoming,” Bill said.

MAUK

By DAVE MAUK

“ Politics ought to be the part-time profession of every citizen who would protect the rights and privileges of free people.”— Dwight Eisenhower Charbonneau is working closely with the city of Wilsonville to assess the state and needs of our beautiful,

yet aging, French Prairie Road, and its gracious alley and canopy of trees. Here’ s where the French Prairie Road Pathway Project is right now.

First, please congratulate yourselves for contributing to the project by completing the hundreds of surveys submitted in December. The

city is finishing the tabulation and scoring of responses. At the same time, the health of the hardwood trees lining the road, and the stability of the irrigation system supporting them, is also being assessed.

See CIVIC AFFAIRS / A22

State of Oregon CCB # 194072