Ted Witte, 30, has been trained by the best of the best when it comes to French cuisine.
A New Jersey native, the young chef discovered a passion for cooking at age 9, helping to whip up meals for the family when his mother worked long hours. At that time, he’d stick by his grandma’s side in the kitchen, picking up on some of her German recipes but mainly mimicking her skill.
It wasn’t until he was about to graduate high school that Witte’s mother took him to Madeleine’s Petit Paris and he was shown exactly what fine food preparation could look like.
“I was amazed that food could look like that and I knew I wanted to be a part of it,” Witte said, from his newly opened restaurant, Cafe Lavande, on Girard Avenue. “I went back the next day and asked for a job.”
Being tutored by Madeleine’s head chef Gaspar Calloz helped Witte secure enrollment at The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York, and eventually move on to work as head chef at several upscale eateries, such as Restaurant Danielle, Quilty’s of New York and eventually Kensington Grille in San Diego. Opening his own restaurant was always a goal, and when he saw the Girard Street location, which once housed Cafe Lautrec, he fell in love.
Although making the transition from head chef to restaurant owner has been a bit more time-consuming than Witte had imagined, it has been well worth it to shape Cafe Lavande into a long-time vision, he said.
Joined by wife Katy, 24, and his brother, Witte spent countless hours and money restoring the dining room of Cafe Lavande, or “lavender cafe” in French.
Accordingly, the decor reflects pale purple motifs and brighter shades of violet.
The new owners also replaced the floors with a recessed bamboo and gutted the kitchen, replacing all the appliances and utensils, Witte said.
While Witte spends much of his time in the kitchen with one other chef, Katy acts as bookkeeper, hostess and honorary greeter, mingling with patrons while they’re dining “” a tradition Witte picked up from his training with many French chefs, he said.
In his food preparation, Witte also mirrors his mentor, Calloz, he said, referring to the renowned chef as one of the best out there.
“The food is classic French,” said Witte of Cafe Lavande’s menu, which currently just serves lunch but will expand to dinner within the next few weeks. “The main focus is country or a rustic style “” nothing mounded “” just a clean plate presentation.”
Some of the most popular dishes so far have included the tuna Nicoise “”seared ahi surrounded by tomato, cucumber, artichoke, olive, caper, potato and egg with a lemon-basil vinaigrette “” and the creme Bbulee infused with candied lavender.
And while he aims for elegance with the cafe’s white tablecloth dining, Witte still wants people to feel comfortable enough to ask questions about the menu and relax on the outdoor patio.
His hope is that the atmosphere and cuisine will help attract both old and new customers, giving residents a chance to get to know the new owners and Witte a chance to get to know them, he said.
“We try to keep the price moderate so people can come every day,” Witte said. “While it’s a refined French place to a point, it’s also borderline casual, and we don’t want it to feel stuffy.”
His goal is for others to take away an increased knowledge of what French cuisine is all about when they leave Cafe Lavande, he said, adding that many eateries in the area are focused on price points and making money instead of quality.
“Coming from New York City, I noticed that no one around here takes it to the next level,” Witte said. “I was getting fed up that nobody has a passion out here. San Diego needs a new bunch of chefs who actually have an appreciation for food.”
Cafe Lavande is located at 7644 Girard Ave., and can be contacted at (858) 459-9940.