Meet Me at the Bistro

Everybody wants to live in a neighborhood with a great, corner Bistro. Not only is it the kind of place you can easily get to for a fresh, made to order meal; it is also the neighborhood gathering place—the place you meet your friends, your family, your loved ones. It’s a place to relax and hang-out; a place to sit back and enjoy good food, good company, good conversation and maybe even a great glass of wine.

When Chateau St. Laurent opened on the Bothell Landing campus last summer, it brought a wonderful new “corner Bistro” to the neighborhood. In so doing, an old tried and true favorite became an innovative new amenity in one of the areas most forward-thinking retirement communities.

Residents love the Bistro for the beautiful setting it offers for lingering over a made-to-order meal. On any afternoon or evening, wander into the Bistro and you’ll see residents enjoying a meal with their neighbors, friends, children and grandchildren. Together with its adjacent theatre auditorium, the Bistro offers a gathering spot with intergenerational appeal. Now residents can enjoy spending time with friends and family in a “restaurant in their house”. Gone is the need to travel somewhere else to spend an enjoyable evening in the company of loved ones.

Bistro Director Jason Johnson is thrilled by the opportunity he had to develop the Bistro from the ground up with Chateau Culinary Director Sherrelle Collingridge. “I have put so much of myself into it,” says Jason Johnson, who has culinary training and restaurant experience. “I love that we are able to offer restaurant-quality made-to-order meals as an alternative option to our residents.”

Jason believes the Bistro offers a truly unique culinary program, with a varied menu featuring fresh seasonal favorites and offerings from local vendors (start your morning right with a barista-made Fidalgo Bay Coffee espresso drink and a maple bar from the legendary Hillcrest Bakery (a locally-owned, multi-generational Dutch family bakery). Favorite menu items include The Bistro Burger (you gotta try it) and the fresh salmon salad with homemade parmesan cracker. In addition, residents and guests can enjoy a glass of beer or a wine pairing with their meal.

The Bistro is also fast becoming a favorite venue for members of the public. Jason has noticed several lunchtime visitors, and plans to cater several upcoming events. But, most rewarding, he says, is the opportunity offer special catered experiences to residents and their families.

Stop by the Bistro yourself sometime and see just how rewarding an experience it can be!