Restaurateurs Guy Gabriele and His Daughters Sylvie and Sara Share a Passion for the International Cuisine Blended in Their Family History

Gabi James Citrus Quince Salad

Serves 2

Lemon Vinaigrette

Yields 2/3 cups

• ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
• ¼ cup grapeseed oil
• 2 tablespoons Champagne vinegar
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons finely diced shallots
• salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients.

Salad

• 1–2 heads Sweet Gem lettuce
• 2 tablespoons chopped Marcona almonds
• ¼ cup Lemon Vinaigrette (see recipe, this page)
• 2 tablespoons quince paste, cut into small cubes
• ¼ cup finely grated Manchego cheese
• Wash lettuce and allow to dry thoroughly. Separate and trim ends as needed. Toss almonds, vinaigrette and quince paste with lettuce until evenly coated. Finish with a generous helping of grated Manchego.

Years prior, Guy’s culinary journey began on the northern coast of Africa. He was born and raised in Tunisia, a place where French, Italian, Spanish and Arabic influences were part of the local cuisine. His father was from Sicily, his mother from Tuscany and his grandmother from Malta—adding to the cultural melting pot. At home, Guy’s mother cooked traditional Tunisian/Arabic dishes with Italian, Spanish, French and Mediterranean influences.

When France ceded Tunisia as a protectorate, Guy’s family moved to Italy as refugees. They owned butcher shops in both Tunisia and Toulon, France, where he worked and learned from his father. But his mother and aunts, all great cooks, taught him the most about cooking.

Eventually, Guy met an Angeleno in the south of France. They married and moved to Los Angeles while Guy was in his 20s, eventually landing in Manhattan Beach.

Over the last 47 years, the Gabriele family’s business has witnessed significant transformation. The first venture, the blue-and-white checkered Le Crepe Pierre, evolved into Café Pierre. Guy bought out his partners, rebranded the space and developed it into a French fine dining experience featuring escargot, frog legs, sweetbreads and country-style pâté.

Love & Salt Roasted Chicken

Serves 2

Chicken Jus

• 2 medium carrots, peeled and rough-chopped
• 3 celery stalks, rough-chopped
• 1 medium yellow onion, quartered
• 1 pound chicken bones
• 1 quart chicken stock (salted)

Preheat oven to 450º. Combine carrots, celery, onion and chicken bones in an even layer on a sheet tray. Roast for 25 minutes until amber in color. Transfer to a large pot. Add stock and simmer over low heat for 35 minutes. Strain solids and reserve chicken jus.

Roasted Chicken

• 1 airline chicken breast (specialty cut from butcher), skin on
• 1 boneless chicken thigh, skin on
• kosher salt, to taste
• freshly ground black peppercorns, to taste
• olive oil, to taste
• 1 thick slice sourdough bread, crust removed
• 2 cups rough-chopped escarole
• 1½ cups Chicken Jus (recipe above)
• 4 thyme sprigs, divided
• 2 tablespoons garlic confit or roasted garlic
• 1 teaspoon fresh-squeezed lemon juice
• 1½ tablespoons butter, unsalted

Preheat oven to 450º. Pat chicken dry with a clean paper towel and season liberally with salt and black pepper. Heat a small amount of oil in an oven-proof large stainless-steel pan and sear chicken over medium-high heat until the skin is golden and crisp. Rotate chicken as needed to brown evenly. Transfer pan to oven and cook until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 160º, about 25 minutes.

While chicken is roasting, heat olive oil in a large skillet and fry bread until crisp and light golden brown on both sides. In a separate pan, heat oil to high and cook escarole until slightly wilted. Season with salt to taste.

Transfer chicken from the oven to the stovetop. Add Chicken Jus and two sprigs of thyme to pan. Cook over medium heat and reduce by 70%. Stir in garlic confit or roasted garlic, lemon juice and butter to thicken the sauce.

To serve, place sautéed escarole on a large deep-dish plate or casserole dish. Add toasted bread on top of greens. Balance roasted chicken pieces on bread. Pour sauce over top. Garnish with fresh thyme.

Café Pierre became a local hot spot, with Guy building a loyal following through winemaker dinners, guest chefs and personal service. Guy’s daughter

Sylvie Gabriele recalls hanging out with her dad one weekend at the café when she was around 8 years old during dinner service, perhaps a foreshadowing of her future.

Guy lost sight of her and began frantically searching for his daughter. The restaurant booths had partitions then, so she wasn’t easily spotted. Eventually he observed her sitting with a guest dining alone. Guy quickly apologized to his customer, who was overjoyed with the unexpected dining companion. Sylvie shot her dad a look as if to suggest, “Isn’t this what we do?”

The long hours and dedication to the success of Guy’s business were an integral part of his daughter’s childhood, and both she and her sister Sara Gabriele lived and learned about the restaurant industry firsthand. They were born into it, immersed in the culture and business of food at a young age.

Sara remembers one year when her dad toted her and younger sister Melissa to Chef Michel Rostang’s Michelin-starred restaurant Maison Rostang in France. Some guests aimed “dirty looks” at the young kids upon their arrival, yet the chef warmly greeted them. They were treated to delicious steamed clams.

“I never knew a world without delicious food,” Sara says.

Guy’s “Perfect” Negroni

Crafted by his son-in-law Adam, Guy thinks this Negroni recipe is the best. His advice: Enjoy, but drink in moderation.

• 1 ounce gin (Old Raj for a more botanical version or Gray Whale for a more citrus-forward version)
• 1 ounce Carpano Antica vermouth
• 1 ounce Campari

Pour all ingredients into a pitcher. Stir with ice, then strain and pour over a large ice cube. Express an orange twist over the drink and place it on top of the cube or on the rim of the glass.

In 1995 Guy opened Zazou in Redondo Beach’s Riviera Village. It became Gabi James in 2018 and is currently run by Sara and her husband, Adam Aro, formerly the general manager at Mediterraneo who was also involved in opening Rock’N Fish. Sylvie started working at Café Pierre by age 16 and later opened Farm Stand in El Segundo with her late husband, Alex Mosavi, before rebranding Café Pierre to Love & Salt in 2014.

With their father by their side and with plenty of family support, they found a way to maneuver the unforgiving world of running a restaurant. They pushed some boundaries to stay inspired yet didn’t veer too far off course. They always put the customer first and responded to market changes—a strategy at the cornerstone of their success.

Guy suggests that overly trendy menus and unchecked egos will impede success, emphasizing the importance of maintaining a customer-centric approach.

This philosophy is evident in the family restaurants, where the menus are reliable yet innovative and reflect a rich legacy of food culture spanning several continents.

Lamb merguez, a favorite menu item of Sara’s at Gabi James, is her grandfather’s recipe from his butcher shop in Tunisia. Appetizers, salads and entrées are inspired by Spanish and French cuisine.

Love & Salt serves Italian-inspired cuisine with a “Southern California soul.” Wood-fired duck egg pizza with pancetta, potato, rosemary and parmesan, and bowls of classic rigatoni alla vodka are on the menu. Both restaurants offer family-style service, encouraging guests to share.

Sylvie, who has a master’s degree in business and oversees all operations and systems, praises her talented team who, at this point, can run the restaurant better than her, she says. She is constantly reevaluating the financial models to keep the business running smoothly.

Sara, a communications major, worked in hospitality and taught preschool before joining the family business. She jokes how her experience teaching young kids has been helpful in the restaurant world.

Both Sara and Sylvie are grateful for the sense of community they share in the South Bay, and for their father’s support and trust along the way. They have seen generations grow up—from engagements and wedding receptions to children and even grandchildren. They share many milestones through their establishment in the community.

As for the way forward, they plan on sticking around and continuing to serve the South Bay with the same love, passion and delicious food that they have offered since the ’70s.