Le
Café Miche brought French country cuisine to the Albuquerque
fine dining scene in 1976. The restaurant was purchased in 1996 by Claus
and Linda Hjortkjaer (pronounced YORT-care), who twice have expanded
the café to meet growing customer demand. In the past five years,
they've transformed Le Café Miche from a tiny nine-table café to
its current capacity of about 90 diners.
The café now features dining areas, a Chef's Table, a private banquet and meeting room, wine cellar and Wine Bar. Under their guidance, Le Café Miche has earned a reputation as one of the best French restaurants in the Southwest. See Awards and Accolades for details.
Chef Claus Hjortkjaer was born in Denmark, in Hans Christian Andersen's home
town of Odense. He trained as a chef in the classic European manner,
as a student at the Culinary Institute of Denmark and a six-year apprenticeship.
Advised to experience life's adventures while he was young, Claus came
to the U.S. in 1981. His first professional experiences in America were
at Casa Cordova in Taos and Thunderbird Lodge at Taos Ski Valley, which
led to a stint as executive chef at Hotel La Fonda in Santa Fe.
During the next stop on his culinary caravan of mirth, at the Sierra Lodge at Santa Fe Ski Basin, Claus met Linda Carman, then a bartender at the lodge and fulltime ski bum. They were soon married, and after working at the Palace and Compound restaurants in Santa Fe, Claus and Linda moved to Laguna Beach, California. There, Claus became general manager of the Hotel Laguna.
The Hjortkjaers spent 11 years in California, Claus at the hotel and Linda starting and operating a nursery and gardening business specializing in Old English gardens. They moved back to Albuquerque in 1996 and purchased Le Café Miche. On rare days off, they enjoy motorcycle riding, camping and visiting their boat at Elephant Butte Lake.
When
you visit Le Cafe Miche, you can expect to be greeted at the front door
not only by Linda but also, by Jean-Paul Quattrone who is the restaurant manager
and widely recognized veteran of the Albuquerque restaurant scene.