In this Local Food, Local Voices episode we’ll visit with Life’s Kitchen executive director, Kurt Alderman, and student Andrew Settler to learn about the history and mission of Life’s Kitchen — and about what it’s serving up on Wednesdays through Fridays.

Cuisine: Variable menu featuring Northwest regional influences and locally available foods

Close your eyes and listen to the gentle sounds of the surf in the background as Michael Mohica whispers in your ear, “our kalua pig is just as you would find it in someone’s backyard, cooked for 12 to18 hours, seasoned only with salt and pepper. It’s the smokiness and steam that keeps it moist and flavorful; it falls off the bone.” Michael, you had us at “slow cooked”.

Cuisine: Hawaiian

Le Café de Paris follows the model of a French bistro rather than the more “hoity-toity” stereotype that Americans often have of a classic French restaurant. As owner Mathieu Choux explains, “What I’m trying to do is casual French food. What I do at Café de Paris is mix three things to fit in the same place – a bakery, bar, and a restaurant. We try to do a nice presentation with our food, but it’s not overdone. Good food doesn’t have to be all fancied up.”

Cuisine: casual French bistro, traditional baked breads and pastries