Dear Editor,

We are reaching out to provide a clarifying response and apologies regarding the Dec. 19, 2023 incident involving Rep. Scott Peters.

Since starting Tapenade in 1998, our family has always strived to ensure diners had a communal space to enjoy each others’ company in an apolitical setting. As immigrants to the United States from France, we understood the importance of having a space for individuals of all levels of society to come together to pursue good food.

Our tenets of service have always emphasized inclusivity, comfort, and joy. These values were not reflected in Congressman Peters’ dining experience that night when a small group of young people engaged with him on the issue of the current conflict in the Gaza Strip.

We acknowledge that this third-party group was on its way to a holiday event and included one of our daughters, who decided to act on her own private accord. We maintain that there was no premeditation or collusion on our behalf and that our staff members were not involved in any organization of this act.

On that same evening, an immediate contact was established with Congressmen Peters’s office to arrange a private audience. This next day’s encounter served as a space for mutual reflection, accountability, reparations, and most importantly heartfelt apologies.

We understand that some of our patrons and community members felt unsafe after a daily newspaper published an opinion piece about the events of that evening. That said, we acknowledge the damage done. To each one of you, we, as a workforce team and family, deeply apologize and reaffirm our values as members of a positive and welcoming community for all.

Since that night, we have faced false and conflated accusations of antisemitism solely based on an event that occurred without our consent. Please be assured that none of the persons involved are antisemitic. While we continue to take steps to repair any damage, including working with our staff to prevent any such incidents from reoccurring, we ask for your tolerance and empathy as we continue to mend a sadly broken relationship.

Time is of the essence for anything in life, we understand that forgiveness is also part of it. As Bistro du Marché, we will continue to demonstrate our core values of friendliness, community, and unity through food. Thank you for reading this letter.

Sylvie Diot

Co-owner and operator of Bistro du Marche in La Jolla