
WILMINGTON — Thierry and Patricia Moity became Wilmington restaurateurs in 2001. Last week, they turned over the keys to their downtown French legacy, Caprice Bistro.
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Dustin Cook and Edie Senter, who also own downtown’s Pravda and KGB nightclubs, were handed the chef’s toque and worked their first shifts on the floor in the last few days.
“This is the heart and soul of Market Street,” Senter said. “The staff is spectacular, the food is phenomenal and some of my favorite memories have been made there.”
The sale transaction has been in progress over the last few months. The name, the staff, the recipes, and the menu all will remain in place. Taking over the reins in the kitchen from Chef Thierry will be his sous chef from the last decade or so, Christopher Nash.
“We will continue our commitment to excellence in Caprice’s cuisine, reflected in the work of Chef Thierry,” Nash said Monday
Chef Thierry started his culinary journey at the age 14, according to his wife, first working in the field for his room and board. The two met in France when Patricia was in her 20s, before marrying and leaving the country.
They had considered moving either to Canada or the United States.
“And Canada was too cold,” Patricia said.
So they landed in New York City in 1977 and by the mid-’80s opened their first restaurant, Cafe de Bruxelles. In the mid-’90s the couple sold it and headed South.
“We had numerous staff who came from North Carolina,” Patricia recalled, adding she always heard great compliments about the Tar Heel State.
The Moities landed in Charlotte and operated Patou for seven years before then moving to Wilmington and purchasing the building at 10 Market St., which was then operating as Undercurrent restaurant. Patricia recalled those early years being a struggle, especially since they opened three days before 9/11. Eventually, with hard work and consistency, the restaurant gained a following.
Patricia worked the floor and front of the house and her husband oversaw back of the house. His recipes blended cuisine from his eastern French roots (Nantua) and the northern region near the Brussels border, from where his wife hailed.
By 2008, the Moities opened a second restaurant in Wilmington, Zooi, located on Military Cutoff Road. Whereas downtown’s restaurant served as a French bistro, Zooi — named after Chef Thierry’s famed waterzooi seafood stew — was a modern take on French cuisine. It closed within three years of opening.
“There was too much construction going on near Mayfaire at the time,” Patricia recalled. “It was hard to run both businesses.”
Unlike the Mayfaire location, the Moities own the building on Market Street. They remain the landlords and only sold the Caprice Bistro business to Senter and Cook for an undisclosed amount.
Senter told Port City Daily Monday morning it had always been a favorite spot for her family — including plenty of date nights, solo nights dining with a book, or celebrating her children and special occasions.
“It’s where my husband and I had our first argument: over mussels,” Senter said with a laugh, explaining she wanted the curry option, while Cook wanted the mariniere. “We settled for both.”
Senter said the couple may bring back a special mussels night, like Caprice had long ago. They’re still toying with other specials, but if any changes are warranted to the menu (Senter would like to see a nicoise salad added eventually, she said) or aesthetics, it will be further down the road. First, she and Cook are focused on adjusting to restaurant life.
They had been looking to purchase a downtown eatery for months and passed on a few offers, but when Terry Espy of MoMentum Properties brought up Caprice Bistro, Senter said it was a no-brainer.
“We love the fact that our friends and our family can come visit us at work and have a delicious meal,” she said, “and, more importantly, our son who’s been raised by two entrepreneurs his whole life can work there and learn the business.”
The couple are rearing a 15-year-old and also have a 23-year-old daughter who lives in New York. They’ve always had a connection to downtown Wilmington, not only as business owners but also residing in the historic district.
“We love the bustle and activity of downtown,” Senter said. “We used to bring Ella to Caprice Bistro for her birthday every year because she loved the profiteroles. And it became a bit of a joint birthday celebration because Pat’s birthday is the day before. So it was a full circle moment when Terry Espy came back and said Caprice was on the market.”
Senter comes from a background in hospitality, having worked for Union Square Cafe in New York City and Pinot Hollywood in L.A., as well as helped Ben Ford, Harrison Ford’s son, open Chadwick Beverly Hills. Her first day on the Caprice Bistro floor was Saturday.
“It was like riding a bike,” Senter said. “Well, an electric bike with all the new technology.”
Patricia woke up Monday, unsure how to approach her day, now in retirement. She and Chef Thierry told the staff last week about the restaurant sale and introduced them to Senter and Cook. The former restaurateurs didn’t even announce to their customers they were leaving during their last shifts; rather, they wanted the new owners to acclimate seamlessly.
“Everybody’s going to ask us a ton of questions and then they’re not going to concentrate on Edie or Dustin,” Patricia said humbly. “It’s an adaptation and everyone needs to get adjusted.”
Though they’re leaving the business, the couple isn’t exiting the Port City area or their Leland home. The Moities plan on spending time visiting their son and two grandchildren more frequently in Apex. This spring they also will travel to the South of France for a long overdue sojourn with extended family.
Though the two have been in the industry for 50 years, Patricia said the time felt right to step away. She had been concentrating more on her health after undergoing a rough year of accidents, she said, including breaking her wrist and being involved in a car accident. It was a “wakeup call,” Patricia said, as the two embark on their golden years.
“Thierry is 71 now,” she said, adding she suspects he will be “a little lost” without holding down the kitchen. The two were in the restaurant daily throughout their last 23 years at Caprice Bistro — “and also on days we were closed just to check on everything.”
“I think this is good for us,” Patricia said. “Edie and Dustin are good people — and it feels right to turn it over to people we can trust.”
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