Neighborhood appeal for a new French bistro
La Buvette Bistro owners Lori and Thomas. Photos by Vince Taroc When Loni Compagnon met Thomas, the man who is now her husband, there was an awkward moment. He was then the sommelier at Cafe Pacific at Trump National Golf Course in Rancho Palos Verdes but mentioned his ambition to open his own restaurant. “I said, ‘Oh, if you do, I’ll help you.’ Then I thought, wait, I’m jumping the gun, this is our first date.” That offhand offer was a prophecy. Just over a month ago, Loni and Thomas opened La Buvette Bistro in San Pedro just over a month ago. ‘Buvette’ is slang for food stand in Thomas’s native France, but that doesn’t begin to suggest the rustic warmth of the space. It’s somewhat unlikely that this place exists, because when Thomas came to California he had no intention of staying. He had spent years as sommelier in restaurants on the French Riviera in summer and in the Alps in winter before moving to Britain, where his career prospects were excellent, his daily experience less so. As he recalled, “I had a really good job in London, but the British lifestyle was not to my liking. I couldn’t afford to live in downtown London, the commute was terrible, and it was cold. I came to…
Read this story on easyreadernews.com