Le Town Talk Diner to open in September

New owners to redefine French food by serving up everyday family recipes

By TESHA M. CHRISTENSEN

When the Town Talk Diner reopens as Le Town Talk Diner & Drinkery in September, it will redefine what French food is.

“We want people to be welcome here and not be scared because it’s French,” remarked owner Emilie Cellai Johnson who is opening the restaurant at 2707 E. Lake St. with her husband Ben.

“We want families with kids to come in. Couples on a date. Groups of friends,” said Emilie.

They will be serving up French comfort food, the sort that Emilie grew up eating in Marseille, France. There will be bouillabaisse, a fish soup with cod, mussel, shrimp, garlic and saffron. It’s a Marseille specialty.

You’ll also find steak haché a ground beef patty smothered in the sauce of your choice: Peppercorn sauce, caramelized shallot, creamy mushroom or Beurre maître d’hotel. It’s a popular dish at French cafes.

And the croque-monsieur a toasted sandwich with ham, Swiss cheese and béchamel sauce, is worth noting.

The menu of everyday foods from France includes breakfast, small plates, salads, entrees and desserts.

Julien Masson, a culinary school friend of Johnson’s from Marseille, has created a list of champagne cocktails as well as a roster of drinks built using French spirits. Groups of four or more will be able to order cocktails as a “cascade,” served in an absinthe fountain.

FRENCH MOTHER, ITALIAN GRANDMOTHER

Emilie grew up in a household that cooked really good food. Growing up in France, her mother cooked French items and her grandmother on her father’s side cooked Italian.

“My husband always says that when we go to France we eat food, talk about food or plan the next meal,” said Emilie. “We are passionate about food.”

She attended culinary school in Marseille and spent several years working in Paris at a restaurant at the top of the Eiffel Tower. “I had the best view of Paris every day,” Emilie noted.

A friend in Minnesota told her that the Hotel Sofitel was hiring, and a few months later she moved to Minnesota. “A year turned into 12,” said Emilie.

She and her husband live in St. Paul, just across the river with their 2-year-old daughter and dog.

Ben, who works for the Neighborhood Development Center, will keep his full-time job at the Midtown Global Market.

ART DECO GETS A TWIST

The Johnsons had been looking for a site for their new restaurant for two years. The Town Talk Diner space had everything they were looking for. It was the right square footage. There was already a kitchen.

The couple had frequented the diner before it closed three years ago, and loved the concept of craft cocktails and a casual food atmosphere. “It was very welcoming to everyone,” said Emilie. “It felt very comfortable.”

They plan to keep the diner counter as a bar, and are using the old diner chairs. They’re giving the Art Deco the old-world feel of a French cafe.

“We respect what was here, but we’re giving it a twist,” explained Emilie. “We’re not trying to recreate what was, but to create something new.”

They’ve installed a new hardwood floor using reclaimed wood in the dining room, and have added banquettes.

IT’S THE NEW EAT STREET

“All of our neighboring restaurants have been very supportive,” said Emilie. “They’ve made us feel very welcome.”

She’s excited to be on Lake St., pointing out how many different types of restaurants there are. “People are attracted to the area,” said Emilie.

“It’s the new Eat Street.”