Front of the House: Fumé Bistro

At north Napa's , chef-proprietor Terry Letson combines great service with an eclectic menu ranging from panko-crusted house-made onion rings, to rock shrimp pizza, to grilled flat iron steak cobb salad.

Letson’s experience in the restaurant business began at 15 as a dishwasher in Southern California. He soon moved to the front of the house where he honed his skills waiting tables, bartending and working in management. During those years he developed a philosophy of good service that has stayed with him. He went on to attend Epicurean Cooking School in Los Angeles.  Fume Bistro is now thriving in its 10th year.

Julie: What brought you to Napa?

Terry:  I had a couple of restaurants in Southern California but the smog and traffic got to me. I made a decision to leave that environment. On my short list were Napa, Portland and Lake Tahoe. I visited Lake Tahoe in June and there was still snow. And Portland was gorgeous, but I started watching the weather and for three months in a row it rained there every day.

Julie: I guess that narrowed it down.

Terry: Napa was the food and wine mecca where we vacationed. That was the apprehension of moving to Napa: I didn’t want to ruin my vacation spot.

Julie: It appears you’ve managed to overcome that apprehension. How important is the front of the house at Fumé Bistro?

Terry: We take a lot of pains to make our food the best it can be without the customer knowing it, and that’s the same way we look at the front of the house.

Julie: Good food and service that looks effortless?

Terry: That’s the idea.

Julie: As chef-proprietor, how visible are you to the customers?

Terry:  We have a pizza oven fronting the dining room, so there is direct contact with customers. On a busy night that’s where I choose to work. I can see the dining room and watch every plate that leaves my kitchen.

Julie: How do you think Napa diners’ expectations are different from those of other diners?

Terry: We look at our diners in two categories: locals and tourists. For the locals, the bar is set pretty high because we have so many good restaurants and a lot of the population works in food and wine. Locals expect a high level of quality from (pardon the pun) the ground up: from produce to dairy.

Julie: What about the tourists?

Terry: Tourists go to a couple of tiers of restaurants in Napa—big names that are high end and high priced. And then you have off-the-beaten-path restaurants that locals suggest. And that’s where we come in.

Julie: I’m doing a weekly column on best burgers in Napa and Fumé Bistro came up last week.

Terry: That’s good to hear. We work hard at it.

Julie: If you weren’t a chef, what would you be doing?

Terry: I don’t know, racing cars? I’m one of those lucky guys who gets to do what my hobby is, what my passion is. I don’t have to come to work. I get to come to work.