The Warmth of Le Petit Soleil
French styled bed and breakfast offers European flavor and flair.
Story by Aja Goare
Photography by Blake Bronstad
The French term mise en place – “putting in place”– refers to the preparation of ingredients for cooking a meal. Just as a Le Cordon Blue trained chef has chopped herbs, cubed butter and rinsed vegetables at the ready, the staff at Le Petit Soleil leaves no detail unfinished before welcoming in guests to its San Luis Obispo bed-and-breakfast.
Inherited from the Connor Family after 20 years of ownership, Owners Brandon Ristraino and Misty Orman Ristaino are committed to upholding the European charm and comfort for which Le Petit Soleil is known. “We stayed at this hotel in 2017 during a little mid-week getaway,” recalls Brandon. “We briefly met the owners and had no idea we’d one day own the property. It was on our radar, but ultimately, we found out the sellers were interested in selling and wanted to sell to someone with similar hospitality views – we are very passionate about hospitality and relayed that we’d keep up what they worked hard to build.”
What previous proprietors John and Diane Connor had built over the last two decades is a 17-room Parisian style boutique property complete with a garden courtyard and dining area. Constructed in 1952, the Monterey Street B&B features a patio reminiscent of the French Riviera, and a central dining and cocktail area with navy velvet banquettes, wall-papered ceilings and French doors that let in natural light.
Guests enjoy complimentary breakfast from a rotating menu that might include house-made favorites from blueberry pancakes to seasonal veggie frittatas, fresh baked pastries, croissants from Back Porch Bakery, farmer’s market produce and fruits, Cal Poly produced cheese, and pour over coffee from locally sourced coffee beans by Coastal Coffee Collective. A daily aperitif hour in the common area invites guests to enjoy a complimentary cocktail alongside Cal Poly cheeses, Alle-Pia cured meats, savory house made baked goods, seasonal fruit, house-made spicy nut mix, and local, as well as French, wines selected by Master Sommelier Lenka Davis.
“We inherited a strong food program here,” says Brandon. “John and Diane are excellent chefs and prepared the breakfasts over the years. The team that we inherited and work with today continue that tradition. We brought on Ryan and Tyler, who are Michelin gourmand chefs and both trained in France. They’re making small tweaks to the program to improve an already great product.”
Next door to Le Petit Soleil, Brandon and Misty are jump starting the recently shuttered Splash Café to serve as an extension of the bed and breakfast.
“We’re adding four suites to Splash upstairs, and downstairs will be a cocktail bar and restaurant,” Brandon shares, noting that the renovations should be complete in early 2025. “Ramon Velasquez is a bib gourmand Michelin chef from Guadalajara who specializes in Mexican cuisine. He’s got a specific food menu in mind for [the former] Splash café.” And Misty, with her experience bartending, will lead the creation of the cocktail menu.
Their vision for the hotel comes from a shared love of traveling the world. “We do as much travel as we can to get inspired to eat and drink and get to know other cultures,” he says.
Having spent so much time in hotels themselves, the couple was emboldened to embark on running their own line of hotels under the Good Lion Hospitality Group. Since 2014, they have opened and operated a line of hotels from Santa Barbara to San Luis Obispo, including five bars and restaurants in Santa Barbara and Ventura. But getting into the San Luis Obispo market was a challenge, and an expensive one at that.
“Misty and I met in LA – I was running cocktail bars and restaurants and she was, and is, in the entertainment industry as a hand model,” Brandon explains. “We relied on her income from these modeling sessions.”
Today, those hands help adorn the property with thoughtful touches that make the space comfy for guests from near and far. A mini bar in each room pairs well with curated snacks for purchase, and a walk-in shower is made even more luxurious with Sangre de Fruta amenities.
“The best places we’ve visited in our travels are the ones that pay attention to small details,” says Brandon. “That’s what we’re trying to do here, let the details bring it to life.”
