Town Bistro was opened in June 2006. It was a dream realized by its chef owner Christal Jett and co owner Kate Messner. This was a dream that took seven years of planning to create.
Christal was born and raised in White Stone,VA. She spent her childhood in the local area. She left home to work for the post office in Virginia Beach, VA. Recognizing her talent for cooking, Christal left her job to attend Johnson and Wales University in Norfolk. While at Johnson and Wales, Christal was the only female chosen to participate in an ACF hot food competition. Her team went on to win a silver medal in the competition. She graduated at the top of her class with an A.A.S. in Culinary Arts . After graduation, she travelled the country sampling different cuisines and gathering ideas. The highlight of her travels was her visit to Napa Valley where she was able to sample the finest California wines as well as outstanding food. She additionally spent 4 years in Hawaii learning about the Polynesian and Asian cuisines. After this experience, Christal decided to return to her hometown to open her own restaurant to serve the needs of the Northern Neck.
Kate also had an interest in owning her own business after watching her grandparents happiness and success in running their jewelry and watch repair business. Although she had no formal training in the restaurant business, she had extensive experience working with children and adults in education. There she learned to set up systems and how to effectively deal with the public.
As often as possible, Christal and Kate try to attend food and wine events to expand their knowledge of food and wine trends. Most recently, they attended the South Beach Wine and Food Festival and met many prominent chefs and wine experts.
