Before La Bohème and all the other restaurants, cafes and sandwich shops that have occupied this small spot in the Felice building on Dolores and 7th, a local lady operated a soda fountain and lunch counter as part of the Woods Pharmacy which was later to become the Dolores Pharmacy and operated until the late 80's. There was no wall separating the present day La Bohème and what is now the Wings America store. I've heard from locals that the lady, Dorothy, made delicious fruit pies and that the Carmelites would gather there for conversation and of course those delicious sweets.

The French Café was opened in 1953 by Janine Johnston and a French friend of hers, Madeleine Dawdakin. They bought it from Andre Laurent, a retired Frenchman and race car driver, who designed and built the village-like atmosphere with the houses and colorful roofs as still seen today. He was operating a small crepe restaurant at the time and selling crepes to Cité de Paris, a very fashionable and upscale store in New York City,, and the locals. He had his crepe machines installed below the copper hoods which are still suspended from the north wall of the restaurant. Although no longer functioning they could be made operational and do add to the decor.

The Frenchman wanted to retire and talked Janine into buying the restaurant and serving tea and pastries. He removed the crepe machine and a small kitchen was installed.

Janine and her husband opened a French antique store during this time. It was located on the east side Lincoln Street between Ocean and 7th, where the Pat Arieas shop is located today.

At some point shortly after opening for lunch an executive from MJB Coffee company approached the two young French women and asked if they would be interested in preparing dinner for a bus load of employees. They were and they did and thus they began serving dinner.

Janine was the cook and her friend made the pastries. The menu for the French Café changed and rotated every week. They offered French country style food. For example every Wednesday Poulet Rôti would be served and Beef Bourguigonne on Thursdays.

Janine sold the French Café to Ivan Nopert, a Belgian, who opened L'Escargot in 1958. Ivan, his wife and mother operated the restaurant until.......??? Ivan had quite a following which included Greer Garson, Kim Novak, Jack Lemmon. Alice Faye and Linus Pauling. David Swift, director of the film "The Parent Trap" (1961), which was filmed at the Fish Ranch and in Pebble Beach dined there often as well as his cast and crew. In the early 60's Ivan bought a building on Mission and 4th and moved L'Escargot to that location. The restaurant had several different owners over the years and closed in September of 1999.

When Ivan sold the Dolores Street restaurant it reopened as Lazlo's Hungarian Restaurant and operated until 1970 or 71.

Mom's Kitchen opened then and after a short life of six months or so, it went bankrupt.

A restaurant called Soudabeh, specializing in sandwiches and Iranian specialties, opened by an Iranian woman, operated in the space for about two years from 1973 to 1975.

La Bohème was opened in late 1975 by a Belgian family who had moved to Carmel from southern California. They are now the present owners of Casanova Restaurant. They operated it as La Bohème featuring "European Country Cuisine". Alan Lewis took a part time waiter's position in the restaurant in 1977.