TO THE POINT Behind the Open Sign
Andy Trousdale
Pride and Passion LE BISTRO’S INGREDIENTS FOR SUCCESS
BY BILL JOHNSON
I
f you work 80 hours or more, you’d better love what you do. And a Lighthouse Point couple, Andy and Elin Trousdale, clearly do. They speak with love, pride and passion about the restaurant they operate in Lighthouse Point – Le Bistro, at 4626 North Federal Highway —a contemporary bistro with a French flare. Andy is as passionate about the culinary arts as Pavarotti was about the opera. By any standard or measure he is a world-class master chef. While working at some of the most prestigious restaurants in Europe, he earned the highest possible three-star rating in the highly respected worldwide Michelin rating system, a coveted designation among chefs. You’ll find Andy in the Le Bistro kitchen every moment that food is
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prepared. If he’s not there, the place is closed. That practice reflects the personal pride that Andy and Elin take in what they do. As Elin puts it, “He knows every aspect of everything that’s done in the kitchen, which is not true with every chef.” Consistency is critical to him, and he insists on it. The Trousdales consider three specific dishes to be what Elin calls their “signature” dishes: cream of wild mushroom soup, rack of lamb and bee pollen crusted cheese. “Everyone loves our cream of mushroom soup,” Elin says. In addition, Andy takes special pride in his beef Wellington. Why is it so special? “Because I make it,” he says with a grin. He keeps it simple with only three ingredients—filet mignon, mushrooms and pastry. The success, Andy says, is in the timing. “It’s a timing thing.” The restaurant is small, homey, comfortable and intimate, with fresh flowers and candles on the tables. A glance at the menu shows $12 appetizers including the bee pollen crusted cheese and escargot. entrees include veal scalloppini Diane, $25, and the grass fed rack of lamb, $36. Since the restaurant is open six nights a week, Andy’s in the kitchen 42 hours a week. Then, there are the countless management responsibilities: planning, shopping locally for fresh fish and produce, controlling costs, maintaining the property, managing other people. “You’ve gotta be clean, organized, professional and able to manage people around you,” Andy says. This business is not for the faint of heart or anyone unwilling to dedicate such time to details. But it takes such dedication to keep a small restaurant going like this for 15 years, since Andy and Elin bought Le Bistro and kept the name. [CONTINUED ON PAGE 64]