Carmel Magazine

BILL LEE FEELING LUCKY It's no secret that Bill Lee gets a funky high off creating a restaurant concept—and the months of self-abuse that precede opening night. The architect of such notable restaurants as Billy Quon's, Bahama Billy's and Bixby's Martini Bistro spent the last four years without a baby to swaddle. Then he got the familiar four-year itch. "It seems every three or four years I feel the need to create something," he says. His latest creation is Lucky's Roadside, a conver ted diner in nor th Seaside, an area mostly consisting of strip malls, motels and taquerias. "People saw this as a derelict loca- tion, but I saw it differently." He usually does. Par tnering with building owner Erasmo Aiello, Lee oversaw the gutting of the interior of the old City Diner, spending twice as much as anticipated on construction costs. He opened on Valentine's Day, with no advertising, no web- site, no advertised phone number—and the place rocked. "I was very honored by the posi- tive response," he says. The menu, devised by chefs Michael Whalen and Marc Jones, centers on a wood-fired oven, and includes familiar items from Lee's past, like Bahama Billy's toasted bread. The showstopper is the Cherry Bomb dessert, two cherry ice cream lollipops dipped in chocolate and con- cealed inside a dry-ice fog. Lucky's Roadside, 1901 Fremont Blvd, Seaside. 831/899-5825. OLD WORLD FRENCH BAKERY FINDS A HOME IN THE BARNYARD After Napoleon seized power in France, he instituted decrees that established strict French bread standards that elevated the status of bak- ers and made the baguette a symbol of nation- al pride. Today the average Frenchman eats only half a baguette a day (compared to a full baguette in 1970 and three in 1900). These numbers, along with excessive taxation, help explain why pro- fessional bakers like Jean-Bernard Vial have made a mass exodus for America. Vial owned a bakery in Lyon, France, until he moved his entire family/workforce to Carmel to open Lafayette Bakery & Café in The Barnyard. His goal? Introduce the land of Wonder Bread and Twinkies to real French bread and fine pastries. "It's been a big adventure for us," says Vial, 158 C A R M E L M A G A Z I N E • S P R I N G / S U M M E R 2 0 1 4 Bill and Teresa Lee are known for creating many popular past restaurants on the Monterey Peninsula. They have just opened Lucky's Roadside in Seaside. Photo: Kelli Uldall food for thought Bill Lee's New Creation, Fresh Baked Goods in the Bar nyard, and Last Bites B Y L A R R Y H A R L A N D 158-159 Food for Thought_Layout 1 4/21/14 10:09 AM Page 1

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