|
 Tucked away
in the outer sanctum of Mid-City and in the back of Circa 1857 lies
a true marvel of one of the perfect places to have lunch and get
away from it all. Yvette Marie's, formerly owned and operated by
Yvette Bonnano, is now under new ownership by Stephanie Bruno and
her family: Husband David, brother-in-law Jay, and sister-in-law
Tricia. Stephanie, though, is there every day, a hands-on owner who
believes in the philosophy of good eating and people pleasing. I
spoke with Stephanie at length and got a real feel for how she got
where she is and the journey that brought her here.
Stephanie has taken an already successful lunch café and made it
uniquely hers. She has a staff of 6 (including her) "right arms"
Megan, Erica, Cory, Callie, and Brittany, who trade off front of the
house duties, cooking, and basically making things run according to
plan like a well oiled machine. It's not an easy job by any stretch,
and I say that knowing that what it takes to run a restaurant or any
business is true dedication, hard work, and the most essential
ingredient: BEING THERE, and, of course, dealing with impatient,
unruly patrons, who sometimes forget that they are not the only ones
who are in a hurry. So I asked Stephanie a few questions…….
JE: Stephanie, what brought you to Mid-City?
 SB: We
love being in Mid City and more specifically in Circa 1857. It's a
nice symbiotic relationship. People coming to Circa find us as a
nice surprise and people coming to eat get to enjoy the unique
surroundings of Circa. Most people do not realize that almost
everything you see at Yvette Marie's is for sale at Circa. Our walls
are covered with great original artwork that changes often and the
courtyard is full of unusual benches, statues, & pottery - there is
nothing else like it in Baton Rouge. Here you can enjoy the live
music inside or the sunshine outside. It's easy to forget that you
are just a few minutes from Downtown or campus.
JE: Tell me about your background. Are you a Louisiana native?
SB: After graduating high school in Baton Rouge, I left Louisiana to
attend college in Mississippi. After several moves and several
majors later, I came back to Baton Rouge, graduated from LSU in
Philosophy---I guess I always wanted to be a Tiger.
JE: Tell me about your culinary upbringing? Any fond food memories?
SB: I was very lucky to have parents who enjoyed cooking and
expected my sister and I to pitch in. Most of my favorite childhood
memories are set in the kitchen. No matter how young I was, there
was always a job for me in the kitchen. We would cook our favorite
meals for family birthdays and special occasions.
 JE:
Anything else you may want to add......any mentors or anyone who
helped coax you into this business or has it always been a dream?
SB: I got my first job in the restaurant business about 16 years
ago. I was hooked and I haven't had a job outside of business since.
My first job was as a hostess. In the 16 years since then, I have
worked every imaginable position in the back of the house and front
of the house. I have never looked back and cannot imagine working
outside of the service industry.
JE: I see there are some new items on the menu. What are some
local favorites?
SB: One of the most popular items is the Jalapeno Chicken
Sandwich with grilled chicken, roasted red peppers, spinach and
roasted garlic aioli, which is a favorite of men and women. We also
now offer ½ sandwich and cup of soup. One of the new items that I'm
excited about is our new veggie muffaletta. As a former vegetarian,
I know how difficult it can be to find a filling and unique lunch
option.
You can expect the same unique selection of soups, salads,
sandwiches, hot lunch specials, and desserts as before with some new
additions. I am a frequent visitor of Yvette Marie's and the general
consensus agrees that the food is flavor blasting and inexpensive.
Another bonus is that there is no shortage of eye-catching scenery
amongst the rustic architecture and bric-a-brac inside and outside
of Circa. There is dining outdoors by the fountain and now there is
additional seating upstairs. I have heard it said that eating at
Yvette Marie's is like taking a "daycation" by getting away from the
hustle bustle of daily life for an hour. It definitely makes going
back to the office a little more tolerable. Last but definitely not
least is to be serenaded by the one and only Garrett McCutchan, with
his plethora of stringed instruments, who plays a cross between
Classical and Hillbilly. He is sure to set your soul on fire and
melt your musical butter!
Yvette Maries
225.383.0388
1857 Government Street
(at the corner of Park and Government Street) |
