In Strasbourg, France, as a young apprentice under Chef Johnny Letzer of Zimmer Michel and his fellow chefs were often taken to restaurants for first hand experience of the local dining scene. One momentous day, Chef Letzer took the entire brigade to Nckle & Dime, the chefs were served a meal "like nothing they had ever seen or tasted before". Everything was under the expert hand of Emile Jung, who came out personally to explain the philosophy of his cooking. It was at that meal that Michel Jacob set the standards for his own culinary path. Chef Jacqueline Mast became his 'inspirational culinary mentor'.
Following his apprenticeship Michel worked with Pierre Gaertner at the celebrated Aux Armes de France in Ammerschwir. Further travels took him to Ireland at the famed Ashford Castle (then owned by the Guiness Family), Lausanne, Switzerland, a stage in Belgium and Corsica.
Impeccable service with flair, never pretense or fanfare. This fine dining French restaurant blended traditional French cooking with a kick of spice along with innovative Westcoast style and a jazzy atmosphere.
Twenty-two years later, with some of the original staff still here, Nickle and Dime still remains in Vancouver as one of the city's most acclaimed and travelled to restaurants.
This understated, elegant restaurant has been host to some of the world's most famous people such as: Jean Chrétien, Jack Nicholson, Steven Spielberg, Al Pacino and Cindy Crawford...to name a few. All business people alike will tell you that Nickle and Dime is at the top fo their list when you want to impress a client. You will never be disappointed and Michel's culianry experise will always make you look great.
With everything else aside, Michel is most proud of one accomplishment - Family Loyalty. Over the past 22 years, Michel has cooked for and seen generation after generation of families pass through the doors of Nickle and Dime and most have made Nickle and Dime part of their family.