Our Story Begins When…

I was just knee high to a grasshopper. I was raised in two
kitchens where both my father and mother loved to cook. My father is still currently
a caterer and head chef of a non-profit organization in my hometown, Merced,
California. It was there that I learned my love of the fast pace and camaraderie of a
commercial kitchen, along with serving the public the fruits of our labor.
My appreciation for home cooked meals, that took hours to create and only minutes
to devour, came from my mother’s kitchen. This is where I truly fell in love with the
experience of dining; bringing the family together if only for 30 minutes out of every
day. Being a business owner herself, mealtime was a cherished time in our
household. It was how we showed our love and gratitude not just for each other, but
for our friends and family as well.

I always knew in my heart of hearts that I belonged in the kitchen, and would
someday follow the footsteps of my parents and own my own business. I attended
California State University, Fullerton; pursuing not just my Bachelor’s in Business
Management, but my high school sweetheart, Dylan. Over the next 4 years our love
grew, my passion for cooking grew, and our partnered determination to open our
own business grew exponentially.

After college, our path took us back home to Merced where we spent essential time
with family for the following year. I took this time to hone my cooking skills with my
father during his catering events, and played sous chef during our non-profit events.
Working 2 jobs, I decided to go back to school to pursue a culinary arts degree at
Fresno City College. Who knew school could be so much fun!
During this short year, my Australian born and raised boyfriend became both my
fiancée and husband! Oh! And my gorgeous first niece and god angel was created!
The Bradley Clan certainly had their hands full; it was a time of huge change for all
of us, and we were in it together.

Dylan and I knew our path did not end in Merced. Our hearts lie in mountains,
rivers, and trees; and we knew we had also outgrown the concrete jungle of
Fullerton. Being that my mother and stepfather lived in a small town in Idaho, we
thought we’d give Boise a try. We promised to live here for 4 seasons, truly ride the
waves, and if we didn’t love it we could always move back to Southern California.
We just celebrated our 6-year anniversary of moving to this beautiful city, and the in
laws decided to come as well! Working 5 years with Chase, the time came to decide
whether or not our food truck dream would come to fruition. For one year, every
moment spent outside of my full time job was spent paying off our debt, purchasing
a truck, recipe costing, recipe testing, working with suppliers, multiple trailer
concepts, acquiring all licensing and permits…tears, fear, and angst. There was
nothing left to do – but jump!

It was a long road filled with sleepless nights and long hours, but I couldn’t be more
excited to share my passion for cooking and showcase fresh and local ingredients.
We love to create fun, rotating menus; which is exactly what makes the food truck
and catering scene so fun for us and our “Babes”! We love to work with you and
can’t wait to create an experience tailored to YOU!

Bistro Babe continues to learn and grow each and every day and we THANK YOU for
giving us the opportunity to be your dining destination! We are humbled and
grateful to our following thus far, and look forward to each adventure this
restaurant on wheels takes us!

All our Love,
Ashley & Dylan