New York City couple brings French bistro to Skaneateles

CNY Business Journal (1996+), Jan 26, 2007 by Erbstoesser, Greg

SKANEATELES - After more than a year of planning and renovations, Alain Castel and Joelle Mollinger are just weeks away from opening Joelle's French Bistro, in a renovated farmhouse just outside the village of Skaneateles.

"We plan to open in mid-February," says Castel of their plan to unveil their intimate, French restaurant and lounge.

Castel and Mollinger, who both moved here from New York City, are renovating the 1860 farmhouse and former bed and breakfast at 4423 State Street Road. The couple purchased the country property, located about three miles outside the village, in October 2005.

Castel says the 1,348-square-foot fast floor will contain the restaurant, lounge, and kitchen. The renovated floor has been divided into a dining room - that will seat 25-30 diners initially but ultimately accommodate as many as 40 - and a small lounge.

The lounge will feature a large, newly installed picture window, where Castel says patrons will have "views of the neighboring countryside and setting sun."

The menu will feature a variety of French dishes, but also offer other cuisines such as Moroccan and Thai dishes, says Castel.

The couple has other plans for the lounge.

"We want the lounge to be relaxed, a place where you can come in and hear good music,, have a glass of wine, and French tapas. This is what Skaneateles really needs," Castel says.

Joelle's French Bistro also will have a large patio for outdoor dining in the summer, Castel says. "We should be able to have 10 tables on the patio," he explains.

Castel will oversee the restaurant operations, while Mollinger will be the chef. Castel anticipates hiring four persons to serve as the wait staff, with another four workers to assist Mollinger in the kitchen.

"I was [raised] in restaurants; my father was a chef," says Castel, a native of France.

Castel worked in a variety of restaurant positions in France, and came to New York City in 1982 where he continued working in restaurants, ultimately starting his own restaurants.

Castel owned and operated the now-closed Pigalle in Manhattan. For the past 12 years, he has owned Country Cafe in Manhattan's SoHo district, which he says he is in the process of selling to one of the restaurant's employees.

Castel met Mollinger who had run her own restaurants in France and New York, when she joined him at Pigalle as a chef Castel says he and Mollinger decided to come to Skaneateles to open their own restaurant after a customer in New York - who was from Skaneateles - encouraged the couple to consider the community for a possible restaurant."

The building previously had been the Blue Willow Inn, a bed and breakfast that was owned and operated by Kenneth and Kebbie Rosenberg, according to Inn Site, an Internet directory of bed-and-breakfast establishments.

In addition to the first-floor renovations, the couple has turned the farmhouse basement into a food-preparation room with storage and coolers for foodstuffs. The second floor will be the couple's residence, he says.

Onondaga County Office of Real Property Tax Services records show Castel and Mollinger paid $219,000 for the 2.8acre property featuring a five-bedroom, 2-1/2-story farmhouse. Kenneth Rosenberg was listed as the seller. The property is assessed at $230,100, county records show.

Castel did not disclose the cost of the renovations, but says he has arranged financing through Sovereign Bank in New Jersey.

Skaneateles town officials say the value of the interior renovations was pegged at $65,000 in the bistro's application for a building permit.