Three years ago, Federico Rusciano was in an unusual—also difficult—situation. Instead of welcoming lunch guests, the chef was busy tucking items away.
It was Tuesday, March 17, 2020. His new Carmel restaurant, The Pocket, had glided nicely through its soft opening and was about to swing open its doors officially. Unfortunately, Gov. Gavin Newsom had just called on California dining rooms to shore up in the face of a Covid onslaught.
Jump to the present—this time on a Thursday in June—and Chef Rusciano is beaming. Dozens of people have come to celebrate the grand opening of his restaurant, Bistro Moulin.
The name should sound familiar. Classic onion soup, escargot bathed in hazelnut butter, steak au poivre, rustic pate that evokes creaking French villages—under previous chef and owner Didier Dutertre, Bistro Moulin became a favorite, often acclaimed as the county’s best French restaurant.
Bistro Moulin offered three advantages to a restaurant owner, the last of which could also be a curse. It was priced so that Rusciano and his wife Sabrina could make a go of it without business partners. The size is manageable for a husband-wife team. Finally, the restaurant already had a solid reputation and core of regulars.
“It seemed to be the right place,” Rusciano says.
But Dutertre is a native of Normandy. Rusciano was born in Rome and trained on the isle of Capri—first at his father’s restaurant then through culinary school. Not long after the dining room reopened quietly in late April with a handsome new interior design, Rusciano began changing the menu and expanding the wine list.
This can prove a dangerous tactic, especially when longtime regulars have laid claim to favorite dishes. When Chef Jerry Regester transformed the Pacific Grove mainstay Jeninni into Spotted Duck, some old-timers walked away without giving the new place a shot. Chef Juan Contreras experienced the same scenario when he opened Rocky’s Cafe in the Seaside location occupied forever by Del Monte Grill & Cafe.
However, Rusciano believes that Bistro Moulin was always European in scope. And as a wizened restaurant veteran, he understands the nature of diners. While expanding the menu to include pasta dishes and other items, Rusciano also courted familiarity. He held onto the name. He also managed to retain the existing staff.
“We wanted to continue the legacy,” he explains. “Some of the favorite dishes we will keep.”
Judging from the crowd of well-wishers that spilled out onto the sidewalk at the official opening, the reception has been positive. And more changes are coming, in part because Rusciano takes a seasonal approach to cooking (“I hate it when you find a tomato salad in the middle of winter”). His cooking is informed by tradition yet open to modern influence. He also understands a bistro as a lifestyle. So Rusciano plans an early afternoon menu of tapas and wine. It’s a casual element—European-style day drinking.
“We’ve been very busy,” he observes. “People seem to enjoy the new look, the menu.”
It has been a smoother opening than his last. Rusciano was hired as chef at The Pocket after eight years as general manager of Peppoli in Pebble Beach. He weathered the pandemic lockdown and established a reputation for the Carmel restaurant that remains. Overseeing lunch and dinner, as well as front of the house service, each day became a frenzy.
“It was a big operation,” Rusciano admits. “I was feeling worked. We wanted to get back into owning our own restaurant.”
Bistro Moulin may be more manageable in size, but the chef is still busy.
“I’m always here,” he says with a laugh. “Maybe we’ll move upstairs.”