JT: How did you and Jacques first meet and get married?
PS: I was in New York working for a French company...we were working for the same French company and they put Jacques on a plane one day and sent him to me.
JT: They did? How'd they know to send him to you?
PS: They sent him in as the chef of the new restaurant I was opening for them.
JT: Who met who first?
PS: We met when I was designing it with the French architect...it was actually a boat, one of those glass enclosed boats like in Paris. We were building one in New York and so I went to Paris for three months and worked there for the company and met him. But they didn't like me being in their kitchen.
JT: Oh they didn't?
PS: They weren't so nice to me. (laughs)
JT: They weren't?
PS: No. A non chef hanging out in their kitchen was to their culture "tres gauche". Anyway, I learned a lot and went back to New York and opened my restaurant.
JT: What was your restaurant called?
PS: Bateau New York. Jacques was at Bateau Parisiens. After being open for one month they called me and told me to fire my current chef, because my French chef was already on a plane and would be there in the morning.
JT: And that was Jacques?
PS: That was Jacques and that's the story how they sent my future husband right to me.
JT: Wow. Synchronicity.
PS: Well, we started going out right away on my expense account because the company said take him to all the French restaurants and show him how it is New York City. So, we did. You know what happened after six months of great dinners and great dates on the company (laughs)....
JT: That's awesome, what a great act of fate.
PS: Six months later, we went to Paris and got engaged...
JT: Now, why'd you go back to Paris?
PS: We went for vacation. We got engaged in Paris and came back to New York and...
JT: Got married?
PS: Twice. That was September '99 we got engaged, and we planned our weddings in February 2000. We had one wedding in France, in Morlaix, and six days later we went back to New York... Morlaix was a huge church wedding... a wonderful party with fabulous food, wine, champagne, and chocolate. And then we came back six days later and had another big wedding in NYC.
JT: Now what about your children? When did you have them?
PS: Ainsley was born in May '02...Antoine was born April '05 and André was born in March '07.
JT: They're all "A's"?
PS: All "A's": Ainsley, Antoine, and André. Our dessert tarte "Antoine" was named after Antione...He is also named after Jacques father, Antoine.
JT: Where do you guys live now?
PS: We live in Old Metairie, about two minutes from the restaurant. We came to New Orleans after having our first child. We wanted to have a second one but with the hustle and bustle of New York and the age constrictions, we decided that we would leave NYC and come down here to visit my family and stay for about a year, and try to have a second child (laughs). But we were already pregnant before we left New York. When we came down here we thought we would continue on to California and do a great restaurant there, but in the six months that we were here, we met more French friends and more French people than we ever did in NYC in the whole six years we were married.
JT: Really? A lot of people wouldn't realize that there would be more French people here than in New York.
PS: Well, it's not that there are more here, it's just that everyone is so busy there in New York that there is less time to cultivate friendships as a couple.
JT: And once living here you started your first restaurant on Williams Blvd.? How long were you there?
PS: Three years. We opened four months prior to Katrina...had no real damage... We  moved to Old Metairie in '07 and actually opened on Metairie Road in January in '08.
JT: What made you move from there to here?
PS: Our customer base was majority from Old Metairie & Uptown... and we already knew this was a great location. Our friend Chef Daniel had a restaurant here in the 80's, called Chez Daniel, and he told us it was very successful. Having another French restaurant in this location was a good move.
JT: What do you guys see in your dreams for the future or what would you like to have happen here?
PS: We would like to be busy every night (laughs), patrons old and new every day....
JT: This is your dream happening right here on Metairie Road then. Good business, having new and old friends come in....
PS: Yes. To do what we love while being able to make a living for our family... You know, being right here. We love this location. We love the way the restaurant looks. We love our customers. We have 95% repeat customers. New ones discovering it all the time.
JT: How do you continue the French cultural influence here in the USA? Obviously you've got Chef Jacques because he's born and raised in France and he lives that whole natural French tradition...
PS: Yes, And the food is totally French, classic French. There's not even any Creole influence or Cajun influence whatsoever. And we get a lot of actual French nationals, when they are here in town, who love to come dine here.
JT: Do they recognize that it's the real thing?
PS: They recognize that it's real and that it's classic and authentic, and they always say they feel at home.
JT: What is it about the French food people love? What defines French food?
PS: I think a lot of it has to do with preparation and the flavors and a natural simplicity. The originality in French cuisine comes from combining basic, simple ingredients and yet not overdoing it in one dish, so you can really taste each component.
JT: Anything else to add?
PS: No, I think that's it... Oh, and there are no more children planned to be coming into our family (with a laugh).