FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM MAY 2, 2019 • THE QUEENS COURIER 79
Decades of delight
VICTORIA’S
SECRETS
Victoria
SCHNEPSYUNIS
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For several decades, the
black canopied La Baraka
restaurant on Northern
Boulevard in Little Neck has
survived and thrived because
of an extraordinary couple.
A refugee from the turmoil
and devastation of World
War II, Lucette Sonigo tells
her life’s journey in a beautifully
crafted autobiography,
“Behind the Smile.”
Lucette’s welcoming smile
greets me and all who pass
through her doorway into the
charming restaurant she and
her husband Jean-Luc created.
I was always taken by her
charm and the warm environment
she created, with every
table bearing fresh flowers
and always impeccably
served, consistently outstanding
food.
Although her husband is the
chef of the renowned restaurant
that has served fine
French cuisine for almost 40
years at the same location, she
is the draw that keeps customers
coming back.
Having dined at La Baraka
for years, I never knew
her challenged life’s story.
I never knew what was
“behind the smile.”
The book she wrote a few
years ago is a testament to
the human spirit and tenacity
in times of turmoil, struggle
and then survival. It’s
all about her tale of hope
and encouragement that she
called her “gift” for being
unflappable in what life
brought her. A lesson for all
of us!
It reminded me of my mom,
who at the age of 2 was carried
by her brother across Europe
from her protected home in
Kiev, Ukraine.
Lucette was born on April
24, 1941 in a wheat-producing
small village in the northern
part of Tunisia. German
troops marched into her town
and shook the countryside and
her world, killing her mom
and sister in what became the
war-ravaged country. She barely
survived.
Sadly, soon after the bombing,
she lost her father,
too. She writes that he
probably died of a broken
heart and spirit after seeing
his beloved wife and
daughter dead.
Lucette was now an
orphan, but her 6-yearold
brother Guy became
her guardian angel and
protector under their
grandmother’s roof.
Somehow she and Guy
survived the war and
made a life for themselves.
I believe in the saying
that “what doesn’t kill you
makes you stronger.” And
this is true of Lucette.
She made a new life for
herself and her five children,
married Jean-Luc
and came to America.
It’s a tale of true
strength and survival that
made me turn page after page.
But you must visit La Baraka
yourself to feel the love, warmth
and devotion the two have created
in what people call “our
home away from home.” It’s
not just another restaurant. It
has a soul. And yes I eat there
often and my favorite onion
soup quiche, pate and salmon
are always perfectly prepared.
But I must admit Lucette’s
ability to have resilience
to overcome her war-torn,
bombed-out home to raise a
family, including 12 grandchildren
and six great grandchildren,
is a testament to the
human spirit.
In her book, she shared a
Jewish proverb I’d like to share
with you:
“Who gives should never
remember
Who receives should never
forget”
That’s her guiding life’s story.
We are all so fortunate to be
part of her world.
Visit La Baraka at 255-09
Northern Blvd. in Little Neck.
To make a reservation, call
718-428-1461.
Lucette Sonigo and her husband Jean-Luc
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