Kitchen
mission
Chef
James opens eatery in honor
of daughter stricken with cancer
The
restaurant features
artisan farm style cuisine
By
Konnie McCollum
Staff Writer
(December 2009) Lucien Gregor James spent
22 years in other chefs kitchens doing everything from manning
a sauté station to creating the perfect bagel. Last year, he
decided to pursue a dream and continue his education at Hyde Park, N.Y.s
Culinary Institute of America, the premier cooking school in the world.
|
Photo
provided
Chef
Lucien Gregor
James makes from
scratch everything
served at his new
ChickiePoo restaurant, including sodas,
ketchup and all breads.
|
James spent his first year on the deans list and
had perfect attendance. His dream seemed just within sight when disaster
swiftly struck his family. Last January, his 4-year-old daughter, Isa,
was diagnosed with a deadly form of childhood leukemia, Acute Lymphoblastic
Leukemia.
James immediately left the institute and headed to Madison, Ind., to
be with his family. The tragic diagnosis not only changed his life but
also his outlook on life. When your child has cancer, nothing
else matters, he said.
The Jameses recently opened ChickiePoo at 209 E. Main St. It is a small,
cozy restaurant with a menu that changes daily. Named in honor of Isa,
the restaurant features what Gregor calls artisan farm style
food. Everything from ketchup to soda is made from scratch,
he said.
It features a rotating menu in which dishes of poultry, beef and pork
or lamb are served, along with homemade soups and salads with homemade
dressings. Vegetarian entrees are also available, and there is a bread
of the day, including muffins, sweet rolls and other home baked delights.
Coffee is made to order, while beverages including teas, lemonades,
root beer and ginger ale are made from scratch.
For breakfast, traditional French omelets are among the menu selections,
as is bacon cured and smoked at the restaurant.
We want people to take their time when they come in here,
said Gregor. We serve slow food, traditional quality
food, as opposed to the fast food whipped out at other restaurants.
James is a boutique restaurant chef who is trained to create masterful,
unique cuisine. Most chefs spend countless hours away from their homes
and families. The career is hard and demanding. I realized I dont
want to invest my life away from my family, he said. I enjoy
their company.
James lives in Madison with his wife, Phoebe, and two daughters, Isa,
and Gigi.
Phoebe said with Gregor working as a chef, the couple had always talked
about restaurants. We talked about what we would do with a restaurant
we owned, she said. We hadnt really made any specific
plans to ever open a restaurant, but that changed.
The Jameses said they have learned not to sweat the small stuff
anymore. We had plans, but Gods timing was different than
ours, said Phoebe. Things are doing well at this point,
and we know we are going to make it.
As for Isa, she is almost through the intensive part of her treatments,
which include chemotherapy. She is doing as well as can be expected,
said her parents. However, she has a long battle ahead of her. The survival
rate for her leukemia is 85-90 percent but only for the five year mark.
Ultimately, anything can happen, so sooner rather than later has
became our mantra, said Gregor. Most children live in the
moment, and all cancer parents realize that the moment to love and live
is in the present. Thats why ChickiePoos theme is Eat Here
Now!
For more information about ChickiePoo,
visit: www.Chickiepoo.Wordpress.com.
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Articles.