Inside Beau Breedlove's French Cafe Vie, Now Open

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[Avila, 10/18/12]

Onetime headline-maker Beau Breedlove has swung the doors open his waterfront French cafe Vie, and contrary to initial reports, it's not a "French dance cafe" — per se. According to Breedlove, the 36-seat spot aims to provide "an environment where people can nurture friendships," he says, recalling one particular evening at a Provincetown restaurant that happened to end in some slow-dancing. "I had this really good friend... she's in her early 60s, and she's this beautiful, elegant, sophisticated, classy Israeli woman. And she and I, we used to go out to French restaurants," he says. "[One night] we just kind of hung out until the end of the evening, until midnight, when they closed down the restaurant. And a couple of our friends pushed aside the tables and slow-danced to dance music until like two or three in the morning. It was just a timeless experience, and I'd never had that anywhere else. So, the whole concept for the restaurant was to create a space that would organically nurture experiences like that."

Breedlove, who developed the menu and splits his time between the front-of-house and kitchen, offers a paired-down cafe menu (totaling 13 items that rotate biweekly), with an encouraged three-course prix fixe for $28. (The current incarnation features options like French onion soup, paillard de poulet, and beef bourguignon.) Decor is similarly old-school, with walls covered in pieces from Breedlove's own collection. "All of the artwork came from my home, it's all things that I've collected over the years," he says. "I have an affection for religious iconic artwork, so there's a lot of that in the restaurant."

Vie is open now, and according to Breedlove, capturing a timeless and romantic vibe is key. "Our concern is not high turnover, it's not making a lot of money — our concern is creating a unique and genuine experience for each of our diners." Hours of operation: 4:30pm to close, Wednesday through Monday.
· Vie [Official site]