The first restaurant to move into Dr. Hart's house was Maison Bergerac, and by all accounts, it was fantastic. Raymond and Betty Bergerac were French, and they'd moved to southern California in the 1960s before moving north to Pacific Grove and opening their restaurant here.
Bergerac's was the kind of place you went on special occasions. The food was outstanding and the waiting list was months long. They opened the reservation book for one day each year, and immediately sold out the entire season. It was that popular. Every winter, the Bergeracs went back to France to visit family, tour their favorite restaurants, and try new recipes. Their four children helped in the kitchen and, when they were old enough, waited tables.
The Bergeracs retired after about a dozen years and turned the restaurant over to new owners. The kids grew up, married, and started their own families in the area. I'm sure a few of them drive by here, their childhood home, every few days. Raymond died a few years ago, and the bench out front of the house is dedicated to him. Last year, Betty Bergerac died, and her name has been added to the bench, right next to Raymond's.
Her obituary appeared in the paper just as we were closing up the wall in the restaurant kitchen. We decided she'd be happy hidden away here, in the kitchen where she did so much to build its reputation, amid all the new clutter and bustle.
You are my sunshine, my only sunshine.
You make me happy when skies are grey.
You'll never know, Mama, how much we love you...
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