Did Julia Child Ever Own A Restaurant?

If you've ever wondered whether or not culinary legend Julia Child had ever owned a restaurant, we have the answer for you. You would think since food defined Child's whole career, she would have had a restaurant or two. But, the truth is, Child never owned or ran a restaurant. This may come as a surprise as Child continues to influence the food world and restaurateurs like Bobby Flay. 

Child built a career in food through her cookbooks and television appearances. In an interview Child did with Sally Sampson of ChopChop Family, Child revealed that she considered owning her own restaurant, but not during the olden days. She told Sampson, "I certainly wouldn't in the old days. If I were 25 years old, yes, I would love to."

We have to remember that Child's way of cooking was tailored to home cooks, and her techniques, which often took time, might not apply well in a fast-paced restaurant setting. For example, Julia Child's mashed potatoes are made with an absurd amount of garlic, about 30 cloves that you must blanch before incorporating into a sauce. Another example is Child's clever tip for creamy scrambled eggs, which requires cooking the eggs slowly over low heat. 

While Child did not own any restaurants, she had some favorites she frequented across the globe. In Paris, Child dined at Chez Georges, a restaurant that is still around today and popular among American tourists. For a complete French breakfast, Child enjoyed coffee and pastries at Les Deux Magots.  

Back in America, the oysters and seafood-loving Child often dined at Union Oyster House in Boston, where she resided with her husband for four decades. There, Child enjoyed the oysters and chowder, along with lobsters and other seafood dishes. 

Another joint in Boston that Child frequented was Harvest. Child loved this restaurant so much that she had a usual table, referred to today as "Julia's Corner." Now, while Child loved French cuisine and seafood, she didn't look down on fast food in America and actually enjoyed the burgers and food from In-N-Out (which is better than Shake Shack in every way) when she visited California. So while the legendary food icon and cookbook author did not own any restaurants, she had her fair share of favorite places to visit, and luckily, we can still visit many of them too. Plus, if she could have turned back time, we might have had a few Julia Child restaurants to visit today.