I spent the lunch hour enjoying fine French food with an Italian couple from Manhattan. Claudia DiNatale, a long-time friend dating back to summer track club, and her husband, John Figliolini co-own Le Steak at Fillmore East, a Jazz Supper Club and French Bistro in downtown Windsor. I am profiling their business and backgrounds for an article I will be writing for Windsoreats.com and BizX Magazine. Here is a clip:When they returned to Windsor to be closer to family and friends, the unsuspecting couple embarked on a new project that would allow them to bring an element of New York, their home away from home, to our downtown district. With a bit of handy work and a great deal of ingenuity, Le Steak at Fillmore East was established. John and Claudia had transformed a local bar into a unique version of a New York style Jazz Supper Club.
“We wanted to do something completely different in terms of blending French food with Jazz music,” explains John. Claudia continues, “If we didn’t have the live entertainment on the weekends, it would just be another restaurant.”
Or would it? Executive Chef David Grascoeurs brings an authentic taste of France to the table at Le Steak. Originally from Brittany, Grascoeurs left his mark across Europe before moving to Canada. He worked at several renowned establishments in Ontario and Quebec, including Starfish Oyster Bed and Grill in Toronto, before relocating to Windsor. When John and Claudia had a sample of his work, they immediately put their menu in his hands.
