French Table offers authentic cuisine in a welcoming, casual, beach setting
It was a leap of faith four years ago, when Marieke and Christophe Celis left Toulouse, France, near the Pyrenees Mountains, and moved with their three daughters to a new environment in a new country.
They had purchased French Table restaurant at 103 Gulf Drive N., Bradenton Beach, and set out to offer French cuisine in a friendly, welcoming, beach-casual setting.
“We had been coming to Anna Maria Island every summer for 15 years -- in August, the hottest month of the year, and we just loved it. We saw that this restaurant was for sale and it was just what we were looking for,” said Marieke, a former airline flight attendant.
Although Christophe had worked as a chef for years, the couple had never owned a restaurant before.
Christophe learned his culinary skills from his grandmother and mother.
“Our food is more about family cooking,” he said, adding that the Cassoulet, a rich, slow-cooked casserole containing duck leg, pork sausage, white beans and onions, is one of his favorites.
Another of his favorites is Crevettes Flambees (flamed shrimp with parsley and garlic, served with rice and fresh vegetables).
Marieke said that Americans are sometimes intimidated by French cuisine and the impression that they need to dress up. French Table is more of a come-as-you-are place.
“Don’t be put off by the menu, it’s just food,” she said, using the same ingredients found in American cooking, such as chicken, pork, beef or seafood, but prepared differently and with different sauces.
Besides, the friendly couple speaks English (one of four languages spoken fluently by Marieke), and want their guests to linger and relax.
French Table is open 5-9 p.m. Monday-Saturday, but that closing time is flexible.
“We are French. If our guests are sitting here with a glass of wine, we close later,” she said.
Although not a wine bar, the 40-seat French Table does carry an assortment of red, rose, and white wines, all from France. “It’s about the pairing,” the couple said.
All dishes are made by Christophe on site. He also makes all of the breads and the desserts.
”The bread — they will ask for it again and again,” Marieke said.
Their attention to detail, culinary excellence and hospitality has earned them a Tripadvisor Travelers’ Choice award for Best Restaurant, ranking them in the top 10 percent of hospitality businesses around the globe.
“It’s been fun and a chance for us to work together,” Marieke said.
Until the COVID-19 pandemic arrived, French Table had never offered take out. After a few days of having their dining room closed, the couple began offering takeout. Some of their regulars ordered takeout at least once a week to help Marieke and Christophe through the hard times. Because they are not American citizens, they did not qualify for CARES funds or other relief programs.
A few of their customers invited the couple to charge $100 or more to their credit card, just to help them stay in business. That gesture of support brings tears to Marieke’s eyes.
French Table is doing better now than during the darkest days of the pandemic. The dining room is open, but at less than 100 percent capacity to provide a measure of safety against the coronavirus.
Walk-ins are welcome, but reservations are preferred due to the limited seating. For more information, call 941-779-1930, or visit French Tables website, https://frenchtableami.wixsite.com/frenchtable or their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/frenchtableami.
