Simpson brings a taste of France to Hillcrest 

If you have a yearning for France and French foods in particular good news you don t have to hop on a plane and head off to Paris Michael Simpson owner of Frenchy s Hideout has brought a taste of France right here to Hillcrest Only open now for a limited months the restaurant had been a concept in Simpson s head for a multitude of years San Diego Downtown Uptown News caught up with Simpson in recent months for an email Q A DTN UTN When and how did the restaurant come about Simpson I have been working on this concept for numerous years I really desired to create an sole restaurant with elegance and style while keeping it approachable and non pretentious My goal was to create memorable experiences with great food wine utility and ambiance Working as a general manager for the last years in San Diego I had a chance to really understand restaurant operations and fine dining as well as expand my wine knowledge In December of I was browsing the BizBuySell website and came across a small location for sale in Hillcrest I made an offer and everything started and happened fast We opened officially on March DTN UTN What is the secret to creating unforgettable French cuisine Simpson The main key to creating unforgettable French cuisine is making food with the best ingredient which is love You need to be consistent you can not cut corners and you have to use fresh ingredients For example for the French onion soup we make our beef broth using the bones We also use cognac not cheap brandy or sherry wine In addition be very individual and careful when cooking the onions They have to cook slowly but not burn either Using good French cheese is also needed for perfection We use comte cheese but you can also use a nice gruyere or emmental cheese It s all about the flavor not how the cheese pulls haha Secondly stick to authenticity and traditional recipes In the end we use the sous vide cooking technique for greater part of our dishes including our Filet Mignon Burger which helps retain all the juices and flavors DTN UTN How multiple employees do you have and how instrumental have they been in making the restaurant a success Simpson To sum it up the success of our restaurant relies on the gang both in the back and front of the house I am nothing without them Surrounding yourself with a strong reliable professional and passionate club is necessary Most of of my crew members including our executive chef de cuisine are people I know or have worked with previously Shan who I hired early as a general manager has been a huge encouragement in helping with all aspects of the opening and planning DTN UTN What are certain of the challenges to making a go of it as a restaurant owner in San Diego or anywhere for that matter Simpson Oh God where should I start Between the rising cost of operations the minimum wage going up and being the highest in the country and competing with massive restaurant groups that have millions of dollars and opening new restaurants every other week opening a restaurant in San Diego is a huge exposure and extremely stressful There is reliably something A fridge that stops working a plumbing issue or a delivery that does not show up It s not like an office when an employee calls out you have to improvise Last week my chef couldn t come in and with no backup I had to put my gloves and apron on and start cooking for guests Although I love cooking and know the recipes cooking for an entire floor of guests is no joke Owning a restaurant is dramatic challenging and extremely stressful especially at the beginning DTN UTN For individuals who have not been to the restaurant what can they expect when they pay a visit Simpson What you can expect at Frenchy s Hideout is delicious consistent authentic French cuisine exceptional function great wines and an unforgettable memorable experience We encourage people to come by during happy hour and constantly ask about our daily secret menu items We also recommend reservations as our menu is fairly small especially on Friday and Saturday nights We hope to see you soon