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Cafe Michele is committed to bringing to the table the freshest ingredients prepared with an artful and loving touch. Executive Chef Michele Faurot invites guest to come and enjoy her new crisp menu, including her world-famous signature dishes. Entering into her sixth season, her fine dining bistro-style restaurant offers exquisite colorful cuisine which is continually evolving. "Every year, we'll always change," explains Faurot, "although certain things will remain the same, such as our solid foundation." "When people come to Café Michele, I want them to leave with a feeling of being more whole, with a groundedness in their being that only comes from eating foods which nurture the being." She continues, "My philosophy is that no matter how spiritually minded we are, we are in physical form and our bodies must be attended to. And when you are feeding the physical form foods that nurture, the mind the body the spirit are more at peace. When we function from that platform, our lives change." Faurot's menu is a journey in fresh and flavorful holistic foods. You may choose to begin your dinning experience with a selection from the intimate wine list, the perfect complement to a delicious Mediterranean-influenced appetizer. She specializes in salads created with a mix of crisp organic greens and a kaleidoscope of fresh vegetables served with her house-made vinaigrettes or yogurt-based dressing. Each morning, she creates a special soup of the day and bakes her baguettes and focaccia breads-a delicious hearty compliment to her sandwiches, soups and dinners. Faurot is world famous for her freshly prepared pasta dishes, seared wild salmon and halibut entrees, as well as the grilled free-range tenderloins and organic chicken dishes. And her signature desserts are world class, standing alone in their elegant presentation and topshelf quality. Every meal at Café Michele is memorable and effusive, the wholesome ingredients creating delicious aromas and interesting flavors. "From the time people walk in the door, the café is designed to stimulate their senses; from the colors of the menus to the smell of the fresh bread- it all helps to create an appetite and opens someone up to receive the glorious food we are feeding them," explains Faurot. The atmosphere of Café Michele is also a pleasant surprise. "I wanted to bring in a different environment and set that environment in the opposite environment," explains Faurot. She has elegantly decorated her upscale restaurant with an inviting ambiance of tropical meets Mediterranean. Faurot says, "It speaks loudly of my tropical link A large part of me is very tropical-I really love the sun," says Faurot." For the past twelve winters, she has taken brief respites from Alaska, rejuvenating her spirit in the paradise of Hawaii; she has transported that tranquil island experience into the café. Here, you are surrounded by rich equatorial colors, beautiful tropical foliage and exotic paintings by renowned watercolorist, Sylva ... a sweet taste of Aloha. There are also different "climates" in the café itself. "We have three different eating spaces in this restaurant; people can choose a different environment for where they can eat. We call our grill room the ‘action room', where all of the cooking takes place-everybody's talking, there's an open kitchen. There is also a more private environment, ‘the fountain room' where people can't really hear what's going on in the kitchen if they don't want to be involved in the show. And then you have the patio-because of the beauty of the patio, it transports you to a whole other place," describes Faurot. Even though living in Alaska can make it challenging for Faurot to achieve her outstanding organic meals, she says, "I stand firm in my market place and I'm very different." Her standard of excellence has not gone unrecognized. Cafe Michele has been featured on The Food Network, was voted one of the top ten restaurants in Alaska, Best of the Best by Food Network, and food writer, Melissa DeVaughan graced Cafe Michele with a wonderful review. Café Michele is a family owned business; husband Chip Faurot helped Michele design and build the cafe; he performs the maintenance. Faurot's son Janus Leo is her capable and dynamic floor manager, while young daughter Gabriella is growing up right along with the café. The mother/son team of Faurot and Leo are an energetic and synergistic team; it is a pleasure to watch them in action. Together with their dedicated staff, they provide guests with a tasteful and unforgettable dining experience. Both mother and son are committed to the evolving nature of their business. "We are always growing and changing," says Faurot. She describes two factors influencing recent shifts in the café's dining direction. First, Faurot acknowledges her special friendship with Talkeetna resident Ruth Higdon, a vibrant woman originally from New Orleans, Louisiana. Higdon recently took Faurot on an adventure to New Orleans where Faurot embraced the experience with relish. "Cajun food is very different than Mediterranean seasoning," explains Faurot, "the feel of the food is very different; it's considered comfort food. I have noticed that the trend in this country over the last five to ten years has really shifted, that people are gravitating toward comfort food-even in a restaurant, because it's so vastly missing in our culture, that kind of hominess." She continues, "If you don't know how to cook and you don't know how to fulfill yourself on that level, then the next best thing to do, is go to a place to get that filled, like coming to Cafe Michele. And even though we're an upscale restaurant, you can have an organic meatloaf sandwich on focaccia bread that is outstanding." In addition to the Cafe's Cajun movement, the island of Maui has become more than just a vacation destination in Faurot's life. "It sparks me in the wintertime, there is so much color," she says, describing her love for the heart-shaped island. "I'm starting to grow in Hawaii and link up there ... I've been working with other chefs on Maui. Cafe Michele is my diving board," she says, "and from here it will always grow; it is my goal to live part of the year in a tropical environment." Therefore, Faurot has dived into a new endeavor, branching out and creating her tropical venue, "Maui Palms Personal Chief Service", at www.mauipalmspersonalchef.com Beginning in December 2005, Faurot will be offering her famous quality services in Hawaii. "Maui Palms Personal Chef Service will provide in-house cooking directed to small weddings, dinner parties, birthdays, anniversaries and daily meals for 12 to 50 guests," says Faurot. "As with Café Michele, Maui Palms specializes in ‘kitchen alchemy', an eating practice directed to everyday healing. I'll be providing the opportunity for people to begin changing their diet, learning to eat better. And to helping people to become more conscious of what they eat," she concludes. "Most people don't eat for health, but for flavor.