Adieu St Germain; bienvenue, La Cote

St Germain's adorable and multi-talented proprietor Jean-Michel closed doors on his delicious little cafe the end of December. He is taking a position in late spring as a pianist with a European symphony. (I don't remember precisely where. Russia, or maybe a Balkan country.) He is classically- trained and was a professional musician prior to his success as a cafe proprietor.
Jean-Michel will be in area for another couple of months if you are interested in hiring him for a private catering gig, a personal chef dinner party, or something of that sort. Here's one of his last days in the cafe, warmly wishing a neighbor and friend a very happy birthday:



Opening in it's spot on Madison this Friday, January 18th, is a new creperie, La Cote, run by neighboring Viola Bistro owner Laurent Gabrel.
I'm looking forward to checking their creation of a crepe with lemon juice and powdered sugar. This classic, yet simple, flavor serves as my litmus test for crepe quality. A place can use all sorts of fixin's to dress it up, but if the crepe doesn't stand well on its own I don't have the time of day for it. Bienvenue, La Cote!

Via CitizenRain