Latest news with #Tessier
San Francisco Chronicle
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
Michelin-starred Wine Country restaurant opens new café in unexpected location
A new museum opened last month in St. Helena with an interactive exhibition on the life of famed chef Julia Child — yet the museum's café may be an even bigger draw. Under-study, the highly-anticipated bakery and tapas spot from the Michelin-starred team at Press Restaurant, opens May 26. It's attached to the Napa Valley Museum of Arts & Culture, or the MAC, an expansion of the Napa Valley Museum in Yountville. Intended as the antithesis to the stereotypically underwhelming museum café, Under-study will bring a fine dining approach to the grab-and-go experience, without the tasting menu price tag, owners said. 'It's some of the most highly-trained cooks in America in a café setting,' said Philip Tessier, chef-partner of Press and Under-study. Located next door to Press, Under-study and the museum have taken over the former home of Dean & Deluca, which, more recently was Gary's Wine & Marketplace. Yet Under-study (607 St. Helena Hwy., St. Helena) is a major departure from its predecessors. Tessier described the interior, designed by Studio Terpeluk, the team behind San Francisco's buzzy new French bistro Bon Délire, as 'Willy Wonka meets Hermes.' It's a mix of sophisticated and playful: Sleek marble and Douglas fir finishes merge with bold pink, yellow and teal walls and accents. Instead of deli sandwiches and pre-made salads, the café will serve fancy tapas like Wagyu steak tartare ($18), hamachi crudo ($14) and a caviar-topped lobster corn dog ($32) on luxe Heston cafeteria trays. Customers can dine inside at translucent, yellow resin tabletops that flip up from the wall and people-watch through a window that peers into the museum, but most of the seating is on the patio around a fountain. In the morning, the bakery counter will offer coffee and pastries — to be artfully displayed like museum pieces themselves— including incredibly-flaky croissants ($5.50), carrot and lemon tea cakes ($6) and an adorable mandarin mousse parfait ($12) that imitates a real-life mandarin. There's a daily bread selection featuring sourdough miso baguettes and sesame wheat loaves, and Under-study will serve heartier breakfast items such as a bacon-maple-glazed French toast stick ($12), beef fat hashbrowns ($10) and a Dungeness crab omelette ($24, weekends only). Longtime Press fans will recognize some of the restaurant's 'greatest hits from back in the day,' said Tessier, like the sweet and sour pig ears ($14), grilled octopus served in a black truffle mole ($18) and salsa verde beef reimagined as Wagyu skewers ($18). One of the most notable comebacks is the bacon sampler ($12), a beloved, Instagrammable starter where several cuts of bacon hung from a metal rack by clothespins. (It even came with meat-cutting scissors.) At Under-study, it'll be served at breakfast, albeit with a much simpler presentation. A special 'Julia's Menu' caters to museum guests. The three-course meal ($40) represents Under-study's take on some of Child's classic dishes: asparagus vol-au-vent, roast chicken and her favorite dessert, île flottante, a floating island of meringue in a sea of cream. Hams, charcuterie and herbs hang over a butcher counter, where premium aged meats and cured fish, including whole ducks and swordfish, can be ordered to-go, in addition to prepared dinners, like Press' popular truffle-glazed chicken, lobster tails and miso-cured black cod. These ready-to-make dinners will eventually come with a QR code, which will link to a video of an Under-study chef demonstrating how to finish the dish. The marbled case will also be stocked with delicacies like truffles, rare cheeses and caviar — 'all the fun stuff,' said Tessier. 'The goal is to give people access to what we get in restaurants,' he continued. 'You can't buy 90% of what we get at the restaurant, but the cushion for us is if we don't sell it, it goes next door. Most places you can't find this stuff because it just sits there.' Press is known for having the largest collection of Napa Valley wines in the world. But Tessier said Under-study's wine shop will cater more to locals by highlighting international producers and 'unique and esoteric' grapes from California and beyond, like a Picpoul from Napa Valley's Tres Sabores and a Gruner Veltliner from Austria. Wine will be available by the glass and bottle, but Under-study will have a few beers and a spritz on draft as well. 'It's a place where locals can come and not have to drink their neighbor's Cabernet,' he said. Later this summer, a teaching kitchen will open in the back section of the café. Here, Under-study will host educational classes and events centered on food, wine and local artisans, and also film digital content like recipe videos. Under-study. Opens May 26. 607 St. Helena Hwy., St. Helena.
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Father to run 10 marathons in 10 days wearing 10kg vest in memory of daughter
A father is to run 10 marathons in 10 days while wearing a 10kg vest in memory of his baby daughter, who died from a heart condition. Pete Grimwade, 34, from Uckfield in East Sussex, is taking on his challenge to honour his daughter, Isabella, who died at 10 weeks old in September 2023 from a cardiac arrest, with the number 10 representing the 10 weeks of Isabella's life. The progressions manager at an IT firm will be running 10 consecutive marathons starting in Lewes on Friday and finishing with the London Marathon on April 27 all while raising money for 10 charities which supported Mr Grimwade and his wife, Charlotte, through their daughter's short life. He said the challenge has given him a 'new sense of purpose' after he attempted suicide months after Isabella's death. 'Isabella passed away and wasn't able to live her life. After I attempted to take my own (life), I realised I've got a chance here to live my life and live my best life for Isabella,' Mr Grimwade told the PA news agency. 'I hit rock bottom in December 2023, so not long after Isabella passed away. 'Since then, I've been struggling with a bit of a purpose, and this challenge has kind of given me a new sense of purpose.' He will be wearing a vest weighing 10kg to represent the 'heaviness' of losing a child. 'The 10kg vest is almost like carrying the burden of a bereaved parent, the loss and the heaviness of losing your child,' he said. Isabella was born on July 23 2023, with various health conditions, including atrioventricular septal defect (AVSD), which are large holes in the wall or chambers of the heart. She was also born with scoliosis, Tessier cleft lip, ear and jaw deformities and was diagnosed with Goldenhar syndrome, a rare bone condition affecting the face and sometimes the back. One of the charities Mr Grimwade is supporting is the British Heart Foundation (BHF) after it provided him and his wife with 'so much information and support guidance around Isabella's heart condition'. 'I wanted to give back to the charities that supported us throughout the time we were in hospital with our daughter,' he said. He is also raising money for smaller charities, such as Goldenhar UK, which provides information and guidance about the condition, and CLAPA – Cleft Lip and Palate Association – which supports people born with cleft lips. Isabella was transferred from the Royal Sussex Hospital to Evelina London Children's Hospital, where she underwent heart surgery but died on September 30 2023 from cardiac arrest, which Mr Grimwade described as 'the worst feeling in the world for parents'. 'No one ever expects to have to say goodbye to their child, but also no one ever expects to watch their child die in front of you,' he said. He said he does not consider himself 'much of a runner' but said training for eight months to run long has helped to process his feelings of grief. 'For me, it's been a form of therapy in terms of letting my feelings out and just pushing my body and my mental ability to its limits,' he said. Mr Grimwade mapped out nine of his 10 marathons across Sussex and Kent, and will begin in Lewes, East Sussex, followed by Brighton, Crawley, Haywards Heath, Heathfield, Tonbridge, Hastings, Eastbourne and Seaford. The final leg of his challenge will be at the London Marathon. He hopes his experience will provide a sense of hope for parents going through similar hardships. 'I think there is always hope in life. There's always hope of something else or something more,' he said. 'We have to kind of build upon that idea of we can rebuild and move forward.' The charities Mr Grimwade will be running for are BHF, Bliss, Ronald McDonald House, 4Louis, The Early Birth Association, Goldenhar UK, CLAPA, Samaritans, Sands, and The Evelina London Children's Hospital. To find out more about Mr Grimwade's journey, you can visit: To donate to his fundraiser, you can visit:
Boston Globe
08-04-2025
- General
- Boston Globe
Injured Canadian hiker rescued in windy conditions in White Mountains after falling off trail, officials say
Several rescuers were injured in the effort, officials said. 'The weather was terrible and the conditions were potentially life threatening,' New Hampshire Fish and Game said. '[Rescuers] endured less than hospitable weather conditions to save the life of this hiker.' William Tessier, 29, of Carignan, Quebec, was hiking with four companions when he slipped in icy conditions and slid several feet off Jewell Trail before striking an object, officials said. Get N.H. Morning Report A weekday newsletter delivering the N.H. news you need to know right to your inbox. Enter Email Sign Up Tessier made an emergency call for help around 3:45 p.m., immediately after he was injured, officials said. Advertisement Rescuers reached out to Cog Railway, who offered to provide a train for rescuers, allowing them to skip a nearly three mile hike up the Jewell Trail in rainy, icy, and windy conditions. The Cog transported rescuers in two separate groups, after which rescuers hiked nearly a mile to Tessier's location. Rescuers faced 'high winds and icy conditions across the ridge above 5,000 feet elevation the whole time,' New Hampshire Fish and Game said. The first group of rescuers reached Tessier just before 7:30 p.m., officials said. Officials treated Tessier for a leg injury, shoulder injury, and hypothermia then placed him in a litter and carried him uphill back across Gulfside Trail to the train tracks known as Skyline, officials said. Advertisement After carrying Tessier uphill in strong headwinds, rescuers returned to the train at 10:15 p.m., officials said. Tessier and the rescue team arrived at the Base Station thirty minutes later, officials said. Tessier was then transferred into the Twin Mountain Ambulance and transported to Littleton Regional Healthcare for treatment, officials said. 'Without the dedicated SAR volunteers from AVSAR, PEMI SAR, MRS, and the Cog Railway's willingness to help, this rescue mission would not have gone as well as it did,' New Hampshire Fish and Game said. Sarah Mesdjian can be reached at
The Guardian
21-03-2025
- The Guardian
French investigators seek further victims of paedophile surgeon
French investigators have begun a search for further victims of a paedophile surgeon on trial for raping or sexually assaulting 299 mostly young patients, after he admitted all the charges in what was described as a 'turning point' in France's largest child abuse case. Joël Le Scouarnec, 74 had declared 'I committed heinous acts' at the opening of the trial last month but previously only acknowledged the abuse on a case by case basis and had denied several of the charges. His lawyer, Maxime Tessier, told reporters his client had admitted that all those mentioned in his handwritten notes – reported to be more than 300 names – had been abused. He said the surgeon had told the court, which was sitting in camera: 'I have a duty to tell the truth.' The public prosecutors' office in Rennes has opened a fresh investigation to identify and trace other victims mentioned in Le Scouarnec's writings, one document of which was headed: 'My paedophile letters.' Le Scouarnec's admission came after 10 days of evidence from some of the 158 male and 141 female victims, most of whom were under the age of 15, at the trial in Vannes, western France. The court has heard how the majority were abused while under anaesthetic or recovering from operations between 1989 and 2014, when the surgeon worked in a dozen public and private medical establishments across Brittany and western France. Tessier described it as 'a moment of truth and justice … and a turning point' in the trial that came after he asked his client if he recognised that the people mentioned in the numerous notebooks seized by police were 'all potential victims of his acts'. Le Scouarnec replied: 'Yes'. Asked if he recognised that the 299 accusations at the centre of the four-month trial were criminal offences, the surgeon again replied: 'Yes'. 'Monseur Le Scouarnec is aware of the consequences of this, that is to say the possibility of reopening investigations, of finding victims who would have been forgotten by the prosecution. This is an act that goes beyond all declarations of intent,' Tessier said. Frédérique Giffard, a lawyer for 15 of the victims, welcomed Le Scouarnec's admission and said she believed the surgeon had finally realised the devastating impact of his abuse. 'This recognition is a crucial step in allowing the victims to move forward,' Giffard said. Since 2020, Le Scouarnec, described by members of his family as a 'Jekyll and Hyde' character, has been serving a 15-year prison sentence for the sexual abuse of four young girls. It was while searching his home for evidence in this case that police came across notebooks and hard disks containing hundreds of thousands of photos and videos of child sexual abuse. Officers also discovered a collection of lifesize dolls. The trial is also examining how Le Scouarnec was allowed to work after his 2005 conviction for possession of child sexual abuse images when he was given a four-month suspended sentence. His hospital employers and the health authorities were aware but no action was taken. Speaking before the trial, Francesca Satta, a lawyer representing several of the victims, described the surgeon as 'extremely perverse' and said there could be as many as 400 victims. At least 12 cases were dropped because the allegations were out of time for prosecution. Satta said the investigation had opened a 'Pandora's box' for those treated by Le Scouarnec, most of whom are today in their 30s and 40s and who learned of the abuse only when police turned up at their homes. 'It has caused real distress. Many of the victims were five to 10 years old at the time, many were anaesthetised and incapable of knowing what happened. Most had absolutely no idea. In any case, they were children who wouldn't have recognised the difference between a medical act and sexual abuse. And he was a doctor. They and their parents trusted him,' Satta said. In the UK, the NSPCC offers support to children on 0800 1111, and adults concerned about a child on 0808 800 5000. The National Association for People Abused in Childhood (Napac) offers support for adult survivors on 0808 801 0331. In the US, call or text the Childhelp abuse hotline on 800-422-4453. In Australia, children, young adults, parents and teachers can contact the Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800; adult survivors can seek help at Blue Knot Foundation on 1300 657 380. Other sources of help can be found at Child Helplines International
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Yahoo
French surgeon accused of raping and abusing 299 children admits guilt, lawyer says
A former surgeon on trial in France for sexually abusing 299 of his patients has admitted his guilt for all the victims, one of his lawyers said on Thursday. Joel Le Scouarnec, 74, has been on trial in the city of Vannes since early March, in one of the country's largest child sex abuse cases. He is charged with assaulting or raping the patients, many while under anaesthesia or waking up after operations, at a dozen hospitals between 1989 and 2014. 'I have a duty to tell the truth,' Le Scoaurnec said during Thursday's trial behind closed doors, his lawyer Maxime Tessier told AFP. Tessier said he had asked Le Scouarnec if he admitted that the numerous people mentioned in notebooks seized by investigators were 'all potential victims of his acts and he said: 'Yes.'' The 745-page indictment listed 158 men and 141 women, most of whom were under the age of 15 at the time of the events. Until now, Le Scouarnec had only admitted to his guilt on a case-by-case basis as the proceedings progressed, with attention focussed on the notebooks in which he meticulously recorded the abuse he inflicted on his victims. During the investigation he had denied many of the accusations, insisting he was merely performing his medical duties. 'I asked the court to record in the minutes of the proceedings that Mr Le Scouarnec had admitted his guilt for the 299 charges,' Tessier said. 'Admission is a crucial step in allowing victims to move on, and it is good that it has happened at this stage of the trial,' said Frederique Giffard, a lawyer representing around 15 civil parties. 'I think that he finally understood, by listening to the civil parties taking the stand over the last 10 days, that he was not going to be able to credibly maintain his position of continuing to deny the facts in certain cases,' Giffard told AFP. The former surgeon is already in jail, having been found guilty in 2020 of abusing four children, including two of his nieces. The surgeon was never investigated during his career despite a 2005 sentence for owning sexually abusive images of children. He continued to work until his retirement in 2017, after which a six-year-old accused him of rape and police discovered diary accounts of abuse stored on his computers. The former medic described sex scenes involving scores more children in his diaries. They were named, allowing police to track them down to obtain their testimony, leading to additional charges. In December, Laureline Peyrefitte, chief prosecutor of the town of Lorient in Brittany, north-west France, said the number of possible victims stood at 349. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
