Where Did You First Meet?

I first met Angela at Cafe Centraal in Bay View. We'd met via eHarmony; she was the first lady I was matched up with but it took a few months of emailing back and forth to get together. I arrived at the agreed-on time, and within fifteen minutes or so, got a text from her saying she'd been locked out of her apartment and would be late. I had another drink, and after a while, felt a pinch on my arm and turned around to see her for the first time.

I saw she was pretty and intelligent and had a great laugh, and I could tell right away we were going to get along great. I hardly had to say anything during dinner, because after her second cocktail (she said she wanted to "catch up"), she got more relaxed and told me all about her family and friends, and how much she enjoyed food and cooking. We began the Pastiche part of our lives together in 2009, when we both quit our last jobs and opened the restaurant. We were married August 7th, 2016, right here in the dining room, with a large group of family and friends, and lots of good food and wine.

We're celebrating another anniversary this Thursday. It's been great so far, and I look forward to many more good times ahead.

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Simple, elegant, French classics. Hand-selected, affordable wines, refreshing cocktails, and gracious service

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The salmon runs in Alaska and the Pacific Northwest always bring great wild-caught fish to our door. The Copper River king run fluctuates a lot, and has been down these last couple years, driving the price through the roof. Though it's been available to us, I haven't bought any because of this. Wild sockeyes are plentiful, though, so we've been buying them for a month or so now. 

For chefs and cooks, salmon is kind of like chicken as far as menu items go. It's there for guests who might not be into soft shells or pheasant. Those who enjoy the comfort of the familiar. Like chicken, it can be jazzed up about as much as you're imagination allows; cooked in any manner, made into sushi, salads, smoked and sliced... you name it. 

As life goes on and I begin to slowly and methodically turn over the Chef's duties to Andrew so I can focus more on continuing to grow the business and someday be in a position to semi-retire, I seek his input on menu items. Below is a dish he came up with a few weeks ago, utilizing some homemade tagliatelle pasta, baby globe zucchini and tomatoes, pea tendrils and popcorn shoots. Making the dish even more special are the foraged chanterelles we received from Chef Olivier Bidard, recently of the Milwaukee Country Club and a good friend of ours. It's been selling like gangbusters, so we'll probably keep it on for a few more weeks...

Angela and I were recently invited to a friend's summer party- an unusual thing for us. In fact, if memory serves, it might be our first. Most people in our line of work don't get the opportunity to go to parties and socialize with people, because we're usually working while they're having fun. I've never complained about this, in fact, it was one of the things that I found attractive about being a chef. I've always felt kind of awkward in social situations, so being a chef gave me an excuse to avoid many of them. It's not as bad now, because Angela is naturally chatty and I can kind of draft off of her charm and energy.

I was excited, so I went shopping that day because my closet is a collection of t-shirts, golf shirts, and a couple dress shirts. I didn't have a summer party shirt, but I managed to find one I liked. She approved, so we got cleaned up and dressed and went to the party. Let me say, as someone who's catered many of these soirées, this was wonderful. The weather was perfect, the drinks and food were terrific, and everyone we met was incredibly nice. I was really very grateful for the opportunity to enjoy something like this from the other side of the grill, so to speak, and to be treated so kindly. It was a great time.

The point of this story is that even though we felt a little out of our element walking up the long driveway, a few minutes later, we felt comfortable and welcome. Special, even. That's the result of being around kind and gracious people who reach a little farther outside their usual circles to bring others in and let them share a little bit of their evening. We had a beautiful night, and we're very grateful for the experience. -m.

 Tuesdays and Wednesdays on bottles up to and including $60. If that's not enough great news for you, we're extending Happy Hour service to the patio as long as the weather's nice!

Looking for a nice summer quaff? Here it is, light on the palate but full of delicious flavor, a perfect complement to grilled salmon, chicken, pork, or vegetarian dishes. Produced in the south of France, where the sun shines bright and the best produce comes from, it pairs well with an amazing number of foods, especially those native to the Mediterranean like ratatouille, bouillabaisse, or shellfish.

Pork sliders? Fried chicken? Sure, why not? Just chill it down, pop the cork, and pour yourself a glass. This is an excellent yet unpretentious bottle, a value at the price, and if you can find some, a pleasant summer surprise.

David Chang is a well-known and influential American chef/restauranteur, mostly for his restaurant Momofuku Ko, which closed a couple years ago but had two Michelin stars when it was open. Many chefs, including myself, have mixed feelings when it comes to David Chang, acknowledging his talent and drive while not necessarily embracing his confrontational style. He's good on camera, and has been featured in a number of very popular cooking and food-related shows like "Mind of a Chef" and "Ugly Delicious." He can be contentious and self-destructive, and he can be nurturing and generous. In the end, it's really hard not to like him and root for his success because he's genuine and cares a lot about his craft. Photo credit Delicious

Spain or France? Both are terrific, of course, but there are differences. Cava is built for everyday enjoyment, while Champagne is a little more celebratory. If given a blind taste test between a $50 Cava and a Champagne of the same price, I'd bet most people would say they prefer the Cava. I do. Of course, once you arrive at a certain price, probably around $125, you're talking about a very special Cava and an average Champagne. Go beyond that, and then the Champagne gets the nod. Basically, different grapes, different terroir, similar method. Either way, you're going to be drinking something very delicious!

A few weeks ago, I mentioned that we'd been looking at our coffee and considering a change. After discussing at a few options, we decided to go with Valentine Coffee Roasters. We're no strangers to their coffee; if you remember, we sold it ground and whole beans in our second-floor wine shop in Bay View. Joe was tending bar at Pastiche and also serving coffee at farmer's markets around town back then. Angela was influential in the decision, because she is a big fan of Valentine. We're brewing their Bering Sea Blend right now, but if I know her, she'll want their Espresso Dolce before long...

We've been getting inquiries and even a couple bookings for special dinners, so if you're interested, give us a call or send us an email and we can answer your questions and maybe even get you in the book! Whether it's a one-off menu created with wine selections especially for you or a group of friends and family to order off our regular menu, or even a luncheon, we'd love to talk about it! 

Got a Rehearsal Dinner, Birthday, Promotion, or Special Occasion?

Let us know what we can do for you. We can accomodate medium (40-80) or smaller (10-40) groups, larger groups at certain times, create special menus, pair wines, pretty much anything within reason- just no glitter on Angela's carpet, please! Talk to Frank and he'll get you all set up.

OPENING HOURS

Tues - Sat: 5:00 to 9:00pm

Sun - Mon: closed

Happy Hour Tuesday-Friday

Patio is Open (Weather permitting)