Greenville Business Magazine 2010 June issue : Page 42
fresh fare european flair with BY BRANDY WOODS SNOW | PHOTOGRAPHY BY NILL SILVER PHOTOGRAPHY
Fresh Fare with European Flair: Cullen’s Seasonal Bistro
Brandy Woods Snow
Growing up on a farm in Castalia, Ohio, Dan Cullen was accustomed to eating the freshest, local produce and meats straight from the farm. When he came across the opportunity to start his own restaurant, the decision to bring his culinary roots full circle was never a question. He opened Cullen’s Seasonal Bistro with one goal in mind – bring the “farm-to-table” goodness he was reared on to the Greenville scene, allowing his customers to experience the difference that goes hand-in-hand with some of the freshest fare available in town.
Attending culinary school immediately after his high school graduation, Cullen worked as a chef and restaurant manager for six years before moving into another profession. Still, 13 years later, he and his wife, Heather, dreamed of opening their own place and jumped back into the business when opportunity knocked. They celebrated the grand opening in March at the bistro’s 1860 Woodruff Road location.
The Cullens wanted the bistro to be known for fresh, quality foods as well as for its unique and innovative spin on traditional dishes. Much of the bistro’s lettuces, herbs, tomatoes, strawberries and blueberries are locally grown and ripened in Greenville and delivered daily. Most of the menu’s fish options are caught off the Carolina coast and delivered next day from the restaurant’s seafood providers. “We have farmers that literally drive right up to our back door,” says Cullen. “This is the embodiment of the true ‘farm-to-table’ concept we’ve set forth at the Bistro.”
The menu changes frequently in accordance with the seasonality of foods offered, though there are several key menu items that remain a constant presence. The Piedmontese filet mignons are USDA researched and reported to be lower in saturated fats and higher in beneficial poly-unsaturated fats than other standard beef cuts and the Coq Au Vin has been a regular favorite of the bistro’s European customers.
“We believe that using organic and locally grown products help both the health of our customers and the economic viability of our local marketplace,” says Cullen. The restaurant offers a competitive price point with dinner options from $8 to $32 in addition to daily specials.
The Cullens, along with business partners, Keith and Kristen Chadwell, and a group of friends, spent two months pulling together the bistro’s décor, working diligently to create an intimate dining setting right out of heart of Paris. Kristen Chadwell took the decorating helm, tea-staining the walls to create old-world elegance and accenting with wrought iron art pieces and large mirrors. With 10 tables accommodating 40 patrons total, Cullen’s Seasonal Bistro is the epitome of a quaint, personal ambiance synonymous with a true European bistro.
Of course, opening a restaurant does not come without challenges, and Cullen learned first-hand the importance of securing a dedicated and experienced staff. “The major challenge of running any successful business is finding the right people to come aboard. We’re fortunate to say our staff is a major component in the success we’ve had to date. From the house front-end to the kitchen, we’re more than coworkers, we’re family.”
They were forced to overcome a major hurdle right off the bat when the original chef left just one week before the grand opening. Fortune brought Executive Chef Michael Moore to their doorstep that same week and his style and flavor fit in seamlessly with the bistro’s vision.
“Michael doesn’t just understand our ‘farm-to-table’ concept, he embraces it,” says Cullen. “From his roots to his extensive training and experience abroad, he has developed a passion for preparing only the freshest foods.”
An Eastern North Carolina native, Moore was also reared in a farming family in a small community just east of Raleigh. After working as a police officer for seven years, he turned in his badge and gun for a chef’s knife and relocated to Northern California where he enrolled in the French Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Academy of San Francisco. Throughout his career, Moore has worked in the kitchens of Aqua in San Francisco; Rogue Chef’s Culinary Company in Half Moon Bay, CA; The Grove Park Inn and The Marketplace Restaurant, both in Asheville; and Rouge Et Blanc in Nancy-Lorraine, France. While in France, Moore worked hands-on in true “farm-to-table” French cuisine near the Champagne region in their cultivation of seasonal winter beets and preservation of native fruits.
“Michael realizes that good food is only half the battle in operating a successful restaurant – he knows it also takes good service. He successfully facilitates a bond between the kitchen and dining room staff, encouraging them to act as a seamless component in ensuring quick and reliable service to our customers while promoting the success of the bistro,” says Cullen.
“It is imperative we listen closely to the advice of our grandparents’ generation as they understand how to grow and cook food that is both good for us and good to us. Great taste is a virtuous sense that starts with the love and attention of local growers and ranchers and culminates with the freshest preparation possible,” says Moore “Fresh foods locally grown and purchased in our own backyard bring both unmatched taste and an economic boost to our region. Our mission is to bring absolute quality at an honest price.”
“Customers have told us we have ‘downtown food’ without having to go downtown,” says Cullen. “We know we’ve succeeded when a customer leaves happy, saying ‘That’s the best experience I’ve had in quite some time.’ And that’s the way it should be.” GBM
Previous Page Next Page
Publication List
