The New Cafe Beaujolais Cookbook

by Heidi H. Cusick

Mendocino’s legendary Cafe Beaujolais has a newcookbook. The New Cafe Beaujolais Cookbook is written by Julian Lopez, the owner and chef of Cafe Beaujolais. In addition to recipes, it’s also the story of two chefs: one self-taught and the other professionally trained.

Margaret Fox didn’t set out to run a restaurant when she came to Mendocino, even though she loved food and grew up in the Bay Area during the time when California cuisine was taking off with restaurants like Chez Panisse in Berkeley. After earning a degree in psychology from UC Santa Cruz in 1975, Margaret moved to Mendocino and began working as a baker at the Mendocino Hotel. She also made bread at home and sold it to the original owners of Cafe Beaujolais. She purchased the restaurant herself two years later, when she was just 25.

Julian has always been fascinated with the culinary life. At age twelve he created his first lemon cheesecake, which he sold to family, friends, and a local restaurant. As a young man, he traveled to France and interned for chef Sebastien Chambru at the Michelin-starred Le Moulin de Mougins. He continued to work in fine dining while earning his business degree at Gonzaga University in Washington.

In 2016, Julian and his parents, Peter and Melissa Lopez, purchased the charming Cafe Beaujolais “country house.” Julian briefly considered his options—whether to keep working in LA or relocate to the North Coast. It was a huge decision for him to leave LA, but, “Something was calling me, so I jumped in head first,” he recalls. “I was hands-off for 6-8 months, seeing how the restaurant operated and not wanting to be a bull in a china shop,” he adds.

In those early days, Julian and his family learned about Cafe Beaujolais’ history. “Knowing Margaret was keeping an eye on us from afar, plus having staff which had been here for decades, drove the energy and outreach we undertook in Mendocino,” Julian says.

When Margaret wrote the first Cafe Beaujolais Cookbook in 1984, she included recipes as well as information about running a restaurant. This attracted visits from culinary celebrities and national press coverage. When Julia Child stopped by in the mid-80s, her approval of the black bean chili she ordered contributed to the restaurant’s growing fame. The recipe for the now-legendary chili is included in the new cookbook.

When a friend suggested creating a cookbook of his own, Julian says, “I only wanted to do it if Margaret wanted to do it—and she said ‘yes.’ Three years later we have a cookbook.”

Margaret is “blown away by the new book,” saying how “It’s very heartwarming” how much she is acknowledged. In the foreword she wrote: “I am so pleased that Julian is continuing the trajectory we subscribed to, with its emphasis on local produce and other ingredients.”

Indeed, fourteen Beaujolais classic recipes in The New Cafe Beaujolais Cookbook are juxtaposed with Julian’s Beaujolais modern options, such as Classic Clam Chowder and Modern Chipotle Seafood Chowder, Classic Polenta and Modern Dashi Polenta, Classic Buttermilk Cinnamon Coffee Cake and Modern Almond Oil Coffee Cake. In addition, local Supplier Spotlights feature such notables as Nye Ranch, Thanksgiving Coffee, and Toulouse Vineyards.

The Cafe Beaujolais property is unique, home to two other eating spots in addition to the original restaurant. The Waiting Room serves coffee, espresso, and pastries starting at 7am, with snacks and beers on tap later in the day. The Brickery makes wood-fired pizzas guests can enjoy in the garden. The cookbook serves as a virtual tour around the property, starting with breakfast items one might enjoy at The Waiting Room in the breakfast chapter, then Brickery pizzas included in the lunch chapter, followed by dinner recipes from the restaurant. We share a pair of the recipes here so you can get a taste of both the past and the present of Cafe Beaujolais whenever you are hungry for some Mendocino flavor.

Classic Beaujolais Potato Goop

Makes 4 Servings

INGREDIENTS

3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt
3 1⁄4 pounds red potatoes, on the smaller side, unpeeled
1 dried bay leaf
1⁄4 teaspoon finely ground black pepper
1/3 cup olive oil
3 cloves garlic
4 shallots, coarsely chopped
1⁄2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
1⁄2 cup unsalted butter, melted
INSTRUCTIONS

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add 3 tablespoons of the salt. Add the potatoes to the water along with the bay leaf and boil until just tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain potatoes, cool them, and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Cut the potatoes into quarters. In the bowl of a food processor, combine the remaining 1 teaspoon of salt, the pepper, olive oil, garlic, shallots, parsley and thyme and process until finely chopped. Transfer to a bowl, stir in the melted butter, then pour this mixture over the potatoes. Mix the potato-herb mixture with a flat-bottomed spatula, scooping from the bottom in order to coat the potatoes well on all sides.

Transfer potatoes to a 9 X 13-inch or 10 X 15-inch baking pan, spreading them out in a single layer. Bake until the potatoes are crispy, turning them periodically with the spatula, about 2 hours.

Serve warm.

Modern Beaujolais Herbed Fingerling Potatoes with Crème Fraîche

Makes 4 Servings

INGREDIENTS

1⁄2 cup olive oil
5 cloves garlic, crushed
1 pound fingerling potatoes
3 tablespoons fine sea salt
1⁄2 cup crème fraîche
1 bunch fresh chives, finely chopped
1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

Put the olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Warm the olive oil for 2 minutes. Place the crushed garlic into the hot oil, then remove the saucepan from the heat. Set aside.

Place the potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water by 1 inch. Add the salt, set over high heat, and bring the water to a boil. Boil the potatoes until they are tender when pierced with a small knife, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain the potatoes well, then transfer to a rimmed baking sheet and allow to cool until cool enough to touch, about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Using the palm of your hand, gently smash the potatoes on the baking sheet, taking care that they do not break apart. Remove the garlic cloves from the oil and pour the oil onto the baking sheet with the potatoes. Using a spatula, gently move the potatoes around, allowing the oil to seep under the smashed potatoes. Bake until the potatoes begin to brown and crisp, about 20 minutes.

Transfer the potatoes to a paper towel-lined plate briefly to drain the excess oil, then arrange them on a serving platter. Drizzle the potatoes with the crème fraîche and top with chopped chives and freshly ground black pepper.

Café Beaujolais 961 Ukiah St, Mendocino
(707) 937-5614
www.cafebeaujolais.com
Open for dinner Wed - Sat 5 - 9pm Open for brunch Sun 9:30am - 12:30pm
Heidi H. Cusick, a long-time local food and wine writer, created the first Mendocino Crab & Wine and Wine & Mushroom festivals as well as the culinary program at what was College of the Redwoods in Fort Bragg.
Exterior of restaurant photo by Nik Zvolensky. All other photos by Daniela Tallman.