Founded in 1979 by Normandie-raised Chef Michel Malécot, The French Gourmet is a bakery, restaurant, and catering company at 960 Turquoise St in the 92109 ZIP code. Malécot graduated from the St Amand-Montrond culinary school in France in 1969, trained across England and Germany, and worked aboard the cruise ship Le Mermoz before arriving in the United States in 1972. He sharpened his skills at Le Côte D'Azur in La Jolla before opening his own establishment. The restaurant has earned the Chevalier du Mérite Agricole from the French government and a Gold Key Award for Food & Beverage Person of the Year, and it has been voted Best Casual French Restaurant multiple times by readers of The San Diego Union-Tribune and San Diego Magazine. Wine enthusiasts will appreciate the European-style shop that pairs well with a visit to Enoteca Adriano just a few blocks south on Garnet. The bakery display features a daily rotation of croissants, baguettes, quiches, and custom wedding cakes all made from scratch on-site. Malécot and his wife Lesa oversee a full-service catering division that has served UCSD, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, the San Diego Business Journal, and the Catholic Diocese of San Diego. The patio offers a shaded, European-café atmosphere where bottomless mimosas are served during brunch. Guests looking for a Mediterranean dinner along the North Pacific Beach corridor can also explore Cafe Athena on nearby Cass Street.