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Fandango Pierre & Marietta Bain Pierre Bain maneuvers swiftly through his restaurant looking very European in an olive green sport jacket, his thick French accent complementing perfectly the rough earthy walls, open-hearth grill and copper pots reminiscent of a French brasserie or country inn. If it weren’t for the sunny views of a Pacific Grove street scene through the windows, you just might be transported to a village similar to the one where Bain grew up in the south of France. The food is rustic and regional French, Italian, and Spanish, and the mood is warm, friendly, and real. Marietta Bain, Pierre’s beautiful wife of 30 years, hugs regular customers, escorts them to their favorite tables, coordinates large parties, cashiers, buses tables, and arranges the flowers. She just received the 2005 Hospitality Woman of the Year award for Monterey County, an honor well deserved by someone so dedicated to making her customers feel special. Under Marietta and Pierre’s care, Fandango exudes old country warmth while maintaining efficient service and fine food. For the past 18 years, the couple has worked side by side at Fandango, which they own with partner Alan Shugart. “In this business, if you don’t work together, you never see your spouse,” says Marietta who knows the dedication and hard work owning a restaurant entails. Their partnership and love also began at a restaurant—Club XIX in Pebble Beach, where Pierre was the full-time manager and Marietta the new waitress, in addition to her three other jobs. The year was 1975 and Club XIX was the place to see and be seen. It had beautiful views, a glamorous clientele, exquisite china, a great team of longtime employees, and the charm of a neighborhood gathering place. Both Marietta and Pierre loved their jobs, but after they fell in love and were married with two kids, 20th Century-Fox bought the Pebble Beach Co. and wouldn’t allow family members to work together. Marietta had to go. When Shugart, whom they both knew from Club XIX, approached the couple with the idea to open a restaurant, the thought of actually seeing one another on a regular basis was the incentive Pierre needed to leave his great position of 20 years. “The first time I came here [to this building] it brought me back to my roots. I really liked it a lot,” recalls Pierre. The atmosphere is far different from what Club XIX was. Customers can dine in a tuxedo or in blue jeans, and the décor is homey and colorful. To say that Pierre Bain was born into the restaurant business is an understatement—his family has owned a hotel-restaurant in France since 1737. If it hadn’t been for his three brothers, it would have been Pierre’s duty to take over his father’s position. Luckily for the Monterey Peninsula, this hardworking born-and-bred restaurateur has found his niche in America, at Fandango. Pierre has arrived at Fandango at 8 a.m. seven days a week since it opened 18 years ago. He leaves home each day without breakfast or coffee because he can’t wait to get there. He works the lunch shift, then returns home for a quick nap and is back at work at 4 p.m. for dinner. Marietta also works every day with Pierre. Both self-professed workaholics, they thrive on the intense, fast-paced environment in which they shine. “We never sit down together,” says Marietta without regrets. “This is not a business that generates family time, so it’s important to work together. Our work defines our lives.” Recently, however, the couple has begun to travel more often, mostly with the intention of collecting new ideas for the restaurant. “We’re not a trendy restaurant,” maintains Marietta. “The food that we started doing became trendy later.” Fandango’s chef, Pedro de la Cruz, came from Club XIX and has been working with Pierre for 37 years. Fandango’s menu also hasn’t changed much since the early days. The rack of lamb is still Fandango’s most popular dish—it’s just one of the simple provincial dishes that you would find in an authentic French restaurant. “A great meal first has to start with a good appetite,” says Pierre when he speaks of what makes a memorable feast. “The friendliness of the staff is paramount, then the food and then the ambiance.” Both Pierre and Marietta have created a restaurant that is a joy to dine in—one which is not about their ego, but about what they do best. “What I love about it is that I feel very comfortable around people, food and celebrations,” says Pierre. “An office job? No way. This is the perfect restaurant for me.” |
