Chez Nous Redux

The world has been painfully clawing its way back toward something resembling normalcy but, in the view of Rachel Portnoy, co-owner of the former Chez Nous in Lee, many changes made during the Covid pandemic will be lasting.

“Everything is changing and we’re not out of this situation yet,” said Portnoy, who with her husband, Franck Tessier, operates the restaurant now renamed Café Triskele. “I believe some things permanently changed in terms of restaurants. After a year unlike any other, we felt it was time for change, for reinvention.

“Our jobs have always been to distribute food to people in ways that don’t spread germs,” Portnoy continued. “The pandemic didn’t change things on that side but it changed the way we think about our experiences with meals. It was a carpe diem situation and time to rebrand the restaurant.”

Part of the reinvention is the new name for the popular eatery they opened in 2005. The Triskele, an ancient symbol originating in pre-Christian Europe and consisting of three curved or jointed segments spiraling from a common center, is an apt choice. The Celtic design symbolizes rebirth, renewal and moving forward.

And Franck and Portnoy have definitely been moving forward, embracing the increased interest in takeout meals born from the near universal shut-down of sit-down restaurants in the early days of the pandemic. She sees continued interest in this movement and the couple has recast its menu to reflect customers’ needs. To that end, only dishes that travel well are included on the menu.

“When the pandemic hit, we put all our staff on leave and only did takeout,” she explained. “We did it all winter and were able to plan how we would change. Franck is from Brittany (where the Celtic heritage is strong) so our meals were all really kind of homemade and never super French. In that way, the menu is not that different—it’s just a perception shift and steam lining of the menu. We knew people were going to want comfort foods.”

The new menu, all priced below $20, offers smaller sizes to encourage patrons to try different dishes to share. For appetizers, for instance, diners can select among such offerings as warm spiced nuts ($6); black olive and sun-dried tomato tapenade and a baguette ($7) or a three-cheese board with house-made onion chutney on a baguette ($13).

There are ample options for both meat eaters and vegetarians. Just a few of the selections include such items as a quinoa salad ($14), grilled vegetable ravioli ($18); Pâté Maison (Franck’s country pork pâté) ($13.50); steak, house fries, with Bearnaise aioli ($19);| Franck’s poached cod fish soup or Louisiana shrimp ($14).

There are also vegetarian and meat sandwiches.

Even when the restaurant was able to reopen last spring with a vaccinated staff, onsite dining was not what it had been. “We definitely had to cut back our presence at the table,” she said. “We only can only use sixty-percent of our indoor space. So we have expanded outside dining—we already had a nice deck and now we have added a platform and tent in the parking area—it’s gorgeous and I love it.”

Even with onsite dining again available, the restauranteurs are still experiencing challenges. “It’s an interesting time to have a restaurant,” she observed. “We’re very grateful we got to call the shots and made changes when we did.”

Among the challenges she listed are labor problems and, ironically, high demand. “We knew it was going to happen, we knew what was coming—we just didn’t know when. June was crazy. We didn’t even expand our hours the way we usually do and we still made more than we did in 2019. People were so stuck and wanted to go out so badly. That’s why we needed to make changes—this was the moment.”

To date, Tessier and Portnoy are handling kitchen duties with the help of one other cook. “We always got our cooks from France,” she said, “and now we can’t do that. Now, they are saying November, but we will see. Our staff is still not back to where it was. Getting help is impossible—it was bad eight years ago and now it is impossible.”

As a result, the couple keep their restaurant’s capacity at a level they can handle. “Everyone wants to go out Friday and Saturday at 6:30 or 7,” she said. “We have to turn people away all the time. Off days and off times are the way to go if you want a seat.”

Reservations are recommended by calling 413-243-6397.

Café Triskele adheres to COVID-19 protocols put in place last year and Portnoy noted that the Tri-Town Joint Boards of Health have issued a public health directive ordering indoor face-coverings in public spaces in Lee, Lenox and Stockbridge, regardless of vaccination status.

Café Triskele is located at 150 Main Street., Lee MA. It is open Tuesday-Saturday, 5-9PM, and is closed Sunday and Monday.