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T ucked between ice cream and souvenir shops in Bradenton
Beach, The French Table restaurant overlooks Gulf Drive,
offering guests sunset views and authentic cuisine from
Southwest France.
It might be easy to miss the small restaurant, painted gray with
Owners Marieke and Christophe Celis, originally from Toulouse,
had vacationed on Anna Maria Is-land for 12 years, all the while
fantasizing about opening a restaurant here. In the summer of
2015, they decided to go for it, quitting their jobs, and selling their
house in Toulouse. “We fell in love with the island,” said Marieke.
Now full-time residents, the Celises have operated their
and a chef in Toulouse, Marieke and her husband are happy in
their respec-tive roles as manager/server, and chef.
Other than their daughter Tessa, 17, a server, the Celises have
no other employees. “We do every-thing ourselves,” said Marieke
adding that she loves being able to socialize with customers.
Regulars at the restaurant have become friends, she said. And
while the kitchen closes around 9 PM, custom-ers often stay as
late as 11 PM, lingering over dinner.
“I like to talk to everyone,” she said. “I like to be with people,
this is my thing.”
Table Talk
rooster sculptures, a large farmhouse clock and exposed wood.
The walls are painted white and gray, but decorative accents are
Artwork depicts scenes and structures from France, the
sconces resemble street lamps and the food is served on red
and white plates. Large windows overlook stunning Bradenton
Beach sunsets.
“I want it to be cozy,” Marieke said, adding that the restaurant is
casual, and there is no dress code. “I want people to feel at home.”
Like he did in Toulouse, Christophe shops for fresh food every
day, and he makes his own bread dai-ly. In fact, the bread is so
popular that some customers call ahead
to reserve extra to take home. Every dish
is made to order, which means they can
accommodate diners with food allergies,
and can adapt dishes for kids.
The French Table is intimate - just nine
tables -and is popular with couples
on date nights. The Celis-es schedule
reservations in increments of one-and-ahalf
hours, to encourage diners to have
leisure-ly meals.
“We want our customers to eat like they
do in France,” Marieke said, adding
complements that of her restaurant. “In
In the kitchen, Christophe cooks w In the kitchen Christ hat he calls “simple,