When Jean-Christophe Gros was a young child, his mother saw how much he loved helping her in the kitchen. When he was 15, she helped arrange for Jean-Christophe to work for a week in a Michelin-starred restaurant near their home in Eastern France, shadowing the chefs in the kitchen. At the end of the week, Jean-Christophe enrolled in culinary school and has been working in kitchens ever since – now more than 30 years.
The first three years of Jean-Christophe’s training were spent apprenticing chefs, working long hours, hands-on in the kitchens combined with culinary school.
“Those first few years were very difficult but also decisive for my career,” says Gros. “Working alongside different chefs, apprenticing gave me a great opportunity to progress, grow and learn different techniques that helped build the foundation of my cooking.”
Chef Gros spent the majority of his career working in the northeast of France in the Lorraine area. He worked in restaurants with one, two or three Michelin stars.
In 2007, Jean-Christophe and his wife Ségolène visited Scottsdale for one day before going to the Grand Canyon. They immediately fell in love with the Valley of the Sun and dreamed of moving here. In 2015, the couple and their daughter took the leap and moved from France to Scottsdale. Through a connection, they met another French chef who was retiring and purchased Voila French Bistro from him.
“We loved visiting different cities in the United States over the years but Scottsdale was like paradise for us,” said Gros. “When we met the former chef and he was retiring, it was meant to be!”
Voila French Bistro is located in the plaza at Mountain View Road and Via Linda. The couple owns and operates the charming restaurant that is open from Tuesday through Saturday for lunch and dinner. Chef Gros prepares everything from scratch and serves traditional French cuisine with a modern approach.
“When I was developing the menu before we opened, people recommended that I serve Americanized French food,” said Gros. “But I just couldn’t do that! My goal is to show people that French food is more than onion soup and escargot.”
The menu includes traditional salad Nicoise, escargot, three different types of mussels, chicken with mushrooms, several types of fish, rack of lamb, filet mignon and much more. The desserts are not to be missed and include chocolate soufflé, crème brulee, apple crumble and cream puffs with chocolate sauce. Chef Gros expertly prepares each dish. Segolene works in the front of the restaurant helping greet and seat guests and serve the food. She is also very knowledgeable about the French wine they serve.
Voila French Bistro just celebrated its third anniversary in October 2017 and in the three years it has had a wonderful response from guests and the community.
“We have loved meeting locals and introducing them to our food,” said Gros. I love to show my customers what authentic French cuisine – that it is not limited to only the well-known dishes but the way the food is prepare with time and passion is characteristic of French food. I prepare everything myself and even bring some ingredient from France.”
Voila is a wonderful date night spot. From the moment you walk in Voila diners are welcomed by lovely French décor, fresh flowers and warm service. Once the meal begins, guests will feel transported to the heart of Paris!
Voilà French Bistro:
10135 E. Via Linda, Scottsdale 480.614.5600
www.voilafrenchbistro.com
