Maurice Couturier, the French-born chef/owner of Le Mistral, which opened December 28 in the former Mel's space at 5970 South Holly Street in Greenwood Village, struts an impressive curriculum vitae: The chef, who owns Grappa Mediterranean Bistro and Cafe, which he opened three years ago in Golden, was also the executive chef of the iconic Ute City Bar and Grille in Aspen, where he spent nearly twenty years, as well as the chef/owner of La Provence in Snowmass. But perhaps his biggest claim to fame is the fact that he was a private chef to the late King Hussein of Jordan.

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And now he's giving south suburbanites a taste of his home turf. "I'm doing neoclassical French food with a lot of Provençal flair," says Couturier, noting that his menu is a compilation of fresh fish and seafood, including bouillabaisse, as well as meats -- duck, chicken, pheasant, venison and lamb, many of them organic. "We're selling a lot of cassoulet," he adds.

Couturier notes, too, that the space has been given a major makeover. "This is a great location, and we have a very unique clientele, and we've remodeled the restaurant so that it reflects the beautiful area," he says. "We've got a beautiful bar with live piano music and stacked stone walls, gorgeous chandeliers in the eclectic dining room, and one of the best private dining rooms in the neighborhood."