Mountain Views News, Combined Edition Saturday, June 17, 2017

Mountain View News Saturday, June 17, 2017 

Walking Sierra Madre…The Social Side

by Deanne Davis 


“Faubourg: A suburb or quarter outside a Frenchcity!”

Unless, of course, you are speaking of SierraMadre’s very own Faubourg French Restaurant,
formerly Zugo’s. Faubourg is the creation of ChefAnthony Bar, coaxed in by owner, Ricky Budiono,
to transform this popular local restaurant into athing of beauty, joy, and amazingly fresh disheswith a true French flavor. 

Chef Anthony is originally from Lille, a city innorthern France, in French Flanders near France’s 
border with Belgium, so when we speak of a Frenchchef, he really is one! Starting work in the kitchenwith his father when he was just 15, Chef Anthonyworked and studied six years in France, includingfour years of Culinary school, and, yes, someFrench chefs do indeed yell at their students justlike Gordon Ramsey. With so many skills and somuch talent at the ready, he began to travel withan eye on the goal of broadening his experienceand knowledge of perfectly prepared food. Alwayslooking for new tastes and flavors to add to hisconsiderable French background, he covered a greatdeal of territory including the Caribbean, Belgium,
Spain, Germany and ended up in Austin, Texas! “Ilove Texas,” he says, mentioning the music scenethere and his work at La Maison French Restaurant 
in Georgetown, just outside Austin, and now heloves California, “skiing, sun, and the produce!”

So! How did Chef Anthony arrive in SierraMadre? Ricky Budiono, owner of Faubourg, hasbeen wanting to make exciting changes to hisrestaurant (Zugo’s), right here on Sierra Madre 
Blvd., for some time now and has been calling ChefAnthony. Three weeks ago, it was decided thatAnthony would be the spirit...actually, the heartof Faubourg and, friends and neighbors, he is welland truly qualified to bring the heart of freshness,
quality, and beautiful food lovingly preparedfrom scratch! Nothing frozen, nothing prepared,
Anthony even blends his own mayonnaise, catsupand other condiments. He has found that placein Los Angeles on Spring Street where all thebest restaurants and hotels buy their seafood,
which is the freshest possible. And the produce!
Chef Anthony waxed eloquent about carrots andmushrooms and his plan to serve the freshest 
seasonal goodies, like this one: Housemade lobsterravioli, creamy lobster bisque and wild mushrooms.
Now I ask you, doesn’t that sound incredible. Howabout this one: Tarte Aux legumes: Croquant(French for crisp) vegetables, yellow and red babybeets, goat cheese crumble, pickled carrots, radish,
watermelon radish, onion marmalade in puffpastry. With eyes shining, he lovingly described hisrack of lamb with plum sauce, making our mouths, 

mine and my restaurant reviewer buddy, John’s, 
water. 

Wisely making his way down the street toTaylor’s Meat Market, Chef Anthony found all thebones needed to make his special demi-glace sauce.
Again, fresh, fresh, fresh! Not only that, but all thebreads and buns on the menu are made right thereat Faubourg. Starting with a basic menu, he plansto make frequent changes, introducing new dishesand, of course, seasonal goodies. There are alreadyfolks who are dining at Faubourg for both lunchand dinner every day and Anthony’s goal is tocreate a delicious experience with every dish everytime. French pastries are also on the way!

Arriving daily at about 7 a.m. to prep for theday, and leaving around 10 p.m. or so doesn’t leavemuch time for a life for this exceptionally fit young

(31) chef. Married to another chef, California girl,
Shawna, who is a fitness-personal chef, and livingin downtown Los Angeles, doesn’t leave much freetime, but when you love what you do as much asAnthony does, that’s just a detail. French cookingis different now from the Julia Child days... lighter,
fresher. No longer centered on escargot and garlicbutter, he said, curling his lip slightly, and realonion soup is nothing like that dish so frequentlyserved with a pound of cheese melted on top. Hefeels strongly that training of staff is essential.
Focus is a necessity and common sense rules in thekitchen. Each dish must be created exactly the sameway every time. There is nothing in the kitchen thatChef Anthony hasn’t mastered and we will be theones who benefit from his years of training andschooling.
Chef Anthony praised the wine choices thatRicky has made and suggests coming in for a glassof excellent wine and staying for a delicious biteto eat, stressing that his menu will always featuredishes that you simply can’t get at home.

Lunch at Faubourg is daily from 11:30 a.m. to

4:00 p.m., followed by dinner from 5 p.m. to close.
The address: 74 W. Sierra Madre Blvd. You have to 
try it. We love it already! Faubourg!
My book page: Amazon.com: Deanne Davis 
Blog: www.authordeanne.com 

“A Tablespoon of Love, A Tablespoon of 
Laughter” is now available at

Sunrise Books + Coffee at Pasadena First Church 
of the Nazarene – just down the road on SierraMadre Blvd. 

Kindle readers, give yourself the gift of: A 
Treasure Map, A Drunken Owl, and 47 Rattler’s ina Bag

 It’s on Amazon.com on my book page!
Follow me on Twitter, too! https://twitter.com/@
playwrightdd 

YOUR AD COULD BE HERE!
CALL PATRICIA626-818-2698
Mountain Views News 80 W Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.609.3285 Email: editor@mtnviewsnews.com Website: www.mtnviewsnews.com