Get to know us

Michael and I are both from South Louisiana where food and family are deep-seated parts of the culture. We grew up cooking and enjoying the fellowship of family around the dinner table. As our finances have allowed, we've explored the world of fine dining in Denver, where we have lived for the past 20 years, and throughout the United States and parts of Europe.

When our children were born, we knew that we wanted to raise adventurous eaters, but as any parent can attest, "parenting" is only half the battle. Children are born with their own personalities and palettes. Our oldest, Silas, is generally more willing to try crazy foods, while our younger daughter, Colette, is a little more reserved but still willing to give something a go once everyone else gives their opinion on it. This is an important lesson - children learn by imitation. If you as a parent aren't adventurous, then your children certainly won't be. So our children have taught us to stretch the limits of our palettes, particularly when it comes to blind tasting menus. And we have quite a few funny stories there...

Beyond adventurous palettes, there is the matter of table manners. Neither Michael nor I come from strict etiquette families, and we didn't raise our children to ask to be excused from the table or to formally set the table before dinner. Those are all lovely things. They just aren't a part of our casual way of living. However, it is important to us that our children are aware of how they should behave in a more formal setting. So, from a fairly young age - around 5 and 8 - we've taken them to "nice" restaurants (what I would describe as steak restaurants like Ruth's Chris or Del Frisco's). We set expectations in advance, and take baby steps toward learning appropriate behavior. Over time, both the expectations and the quality of the restaurants have increased. There have been hiccups along the way, but the ongoing journey has been worthwhile. And we hope to share our love of culinary growth with other families.