Chef/Restauranteur Jean-Stephane Poinard of Bistro de Leon in St. Augustine takes pure joy in cooking for his guests. In fact his dream one day is to have a restaurant where there is no menu and he just has the opportunity to please. When you walk into his restaurant, which was once a doll shop, you feel like you have stepped into the countryside of France.

Pleasure is at the core of his dishes and that mission was accomplished as he prepared a delicious tasting for host Robin Milling of vegetable soup, Ahi tuna Tartar, and scallops which melted in your mouth, plus frothy risotto that Jean-Stephane attributes to love and mastering the fire.

Born in Lyon, France, Jean-Stephane is a fifth generation chef who was inspired by his father, as he would feed the local priests morning, noon and night. In return for his father's generosity, when he was sick and couldn't travel to the church, the priests baptized him right in the restaurant.

Visiting the Statue of Liberty at 13 years old, Jean-Stephane wished into a wishing well that he would come back to the states. He did years later, moving his family to St. Augustine and feeling right at home with it's European feel.

For more information visit www.bistrodeleon.com