Just the right timing fulfills a lifelong dream in Shepherdstown.
photographed by NIKKI BOWMAN MILLS
LARS GOLUMBIC MAY HAVE GROWN UP IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA, but he fondly remembers spending lots of time as a boy in the Eastern Panhandle’s Berkeley County, where his family owned a cabin before eventually selling it to buy land in Shepherdstown. Some time later, Jaye Golumbic—Reyes at the time—entered the story and was soon introduced to the town she says instantly felt like home.
That’s exactly what they made it: their home. They bought the land from his parents and built their own house on the property—which they later got married in. They started spending more time in Shepherdstown, where they became fans of a quaint little French restaurant called Bistro 112 that they often visited while in town scouting possible locations to open a business someday.
The couple befriended its owner, Deb Tucker, who would later make the tough decision to close the restaurant just a few months after COVID-19 hit. Instead of starting their own business during a pandemic, Tucker said, “Why don’t you just take over mine?”
So they did.
“We bought the property in July 2021, spent a year and a half renovating, and opened in January 2023,” Jaye Golumbic says. “At first it seemed like the world’s craziest idea, and maybe it still is, but it has been a wonderful experience. We were welcomed right off the bat by people and received a tremendous amount of help from other businesses.”
She remembers it as an exciting time, if one filled with long days and tough challenges. The months leading up to their grand opening were tough. But one decision they didn’t have to struggle with was who would lead the kitchen.
The Golumbics were friends with Chef Paul Stearman, who had been working at several top restaurants in Washington, D.C., at the time. When he heard the couple bought Bistro 112, he offered to come down to help get things off the ground.
“And like so many before him, once he visited West Virginia, he was immediately charmed by the town,” Golumbic says. “He wanted to stay, so a partnership was formed.” A delicious partnership at that. Stearman combines classic training with modern techniques to offer a mouthwatering menu of French–American favorites.
You can savor the Old World flavors of Burgundy escargot, beef tartare, steak frites, filet au poivre, and duck leg confit, or delight in contemporary dishes like Moroccan vegetable tagine, butternut squash curry, and pumpkin hummus. And you’ll want to pair those plates with a glass of wine or signature cocktail, like the customer-favorite arugula martini featuring a blend of gin, arugula, St. Germain, and lime.
“We change our menu two or three times a year, but there are always items people insist we keep,” Golumbic says. “Our French onion soup receives a lot of praise and takes three days to make. Steak frites is a dinner favorite, eggs Benedict is popular for brunch, and we almost had a mutiny on our hands when we took the French dip off the lunch menu. Needless to say, it’s back!”
Chef Stearman also creates delicious handmade pasta dishes every Friday night—Golumbic’s favorite—and the restaurant hosts popular wine dinners once a month where he flexes his culinary creativity even more.
“We are so grateful for the support we have received,” Golumbic says. “It’s been unwavering. This community has always loved small businesses, but I think COVID-19 was a big reminder just how vulnerable they can be. The small businesses are a big part of keeping our little town vibrant, and that’s definitely not lost on people here.” 112 West German Street, Shepherdstown, bistro112.com, @bistro112 on FB
READ MORE ARTICLES FROM WV LIVING’S SPRING 2025 ISSUE
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