The Bistro now offers dining under the stars

 

Jacques Toulet’s creativity is always in motion. His job as owner and head chef at the Cabernet Bistro and Wine Lounge in Solvang is never quite complete.

And as Toulet’s imagination takes flight, so does his restaurant’s transitions.

The latest evolution: a brilliant patio addition with a retractable roof and all the ambiance of the restaurant.

“I tried to do something special in Solvang,” Toulet said.

The new patio, inspired by La Serre, a restaurant in Paris, seats up to 60 people.

The patio is the first of its kind in Solvang, and with summer right around the corner, it couldn’t have been finished at a more fitting time.

 

Toulet opens the roof and his eyes widen as he paints the picture of a warm summer night, stars above, and an evening breeze gifting customers with relief.

The patio area just opened, but already it has accommodated its first group of clients.

“It was pretty nice, we liked it,” said Oscar Araujo, whose wedding reception was staged at Cabernet Bistro March 7. “The space was comfortable. We liked the patio a lot.”

With the latest addition, the Bistro now can accommodate up to 110 people.

But Toulet wants to take full advantage of the space by offering a Cook and Eat class, where patrons could learn to cook a dish and then enjoy the fruits of their labor.

Though his plans are still swimming around in his mind, waiting to take shape, Toulet is the first to admit that his concepts are tentative.

 

“My mind is always brimming with ideas,” he said.

His latest ideas include having a grand opening appropriately titled “Dinner Under the Stars,” to celebrate the completion of the new patio.

The night will feature a five course dinner and five wines for $50. There has not been a date scheduled for the dinner, but Toulet said that when all of the finishing touches are added to the patio, he will announce when the dinner will be scheduled.