Jean-Michel Restaurant, a Bethesda institution for 18 years, is closing on January 29. The French restaurant, located in the Wildwood Shopping Center, serves traditional dishes such as terrine de foie gras, Dover sole and beef burgundy.
“I’ve been bleeding for the last two years,” says owner Jean-Michel Farret. “It’s time to stop the hemorrhage before it’s too late.”
Farret, 70, has a long history in the classic French restaurant business, which was once the chi chi cuisine in town. He owned the Washington D.C. restaurant, Jean-Pierre, from 1970 to 1992, and worked at Georgetown’s famed Rive Gauche for five years before that.
“I’m an old timer,” says Farret, who thanks all his loyal customers. “They’ve been supporting me for 45 years.”