The restaurant is named in honor of Jean Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur, Comte de Rochambeau, who was appointed by Louis XVI as leader of the 5,500-person French military force sent to help the American Continentals win independence from British rule. A veteran of a number of sieges in Europe, he provided valuable expertise that helped ensure victory in the Battle of Yorktown in October 1781.
The restaurant’s owners are friends with Rochambeau’s descendants, and have visited the family’s chateau in Thoré-la-Rochette (shown below). Five years ago, the Town of Gordonsville became a Sister City with his home town. As a tangible sign of our common bond, a portion of the restaurant’s profits go to Les Amis de Rochambeau, a group in France that assists in maintaining Rochambeau’s chateau and keeping his memory alive.
