Local restaurant raising money for Harris Avenue Cafe fire victim’s young daughter
It’s been almost a year since a fire in Fairhaven fire took the life of Harris Avenue Cafe owner and father Nathaniel V. Breaux.
Breaux owned both Harris Avenue Cafe and The Old Independent Coffeehouse, the two businesses that were lost during the Dec. 17, 2023 fire.
“Nate was a deeply loved brother, son, father, and friend,” Breaux’s family wrote in a statement in Dec. 2023. “Harris Avenue Cafe and the Old Independent Coffeehouse were his life. He started in the dish pit while in college at WWU, working his way up to head chef and then buying the cafe in 2016. His passion for healthy, wholesome food was visible in every dish, where almost everything was made from scratch and sourced from local vendors. His staff and customers were his Bellingham family, with many regulars stopping by on a daily or weekly basis. He wanted nothing more than for the cafe to be a place for the community to come together and enjoy a warm atmosphere and good food, in a beautiful historic building that held decades of memories. Given the outpouring of community support over the past week, we find comfort in knowing that he achieved this goal.”
Nearly a year since the devastating fire, a local restaurant is recreating some of Breaux’s popular dishes served at the cafe and donating 10% of the proceeds to Breaux’s family.
Magdalena Theisen and Greg Theisen, owners of Magdalena’s Bistro & Creperie, know the Breaux family well.
“Greg, my husband, was a regular customer of the Harris Avenue and Tonys, and we both were big fans of this restaurant. We were devastated after the tragic accident. Not only because a young talented man tragically died but also because he left little daughter Zazi,” Magdalena told The Bellingham Herald.
Nathaniel’s two grandmothers were employees for Magdalena for years. One grandmother, Zazi, still works at the bistro and will help cook the special dishes from Harris Avenue Cafe during the fundraiser.
Magdalena’s will dedicate 10% of revenue from the special dishes served Dec. 7-8 to Nathaniel’s daughter, Zazi.
The special dishes include Hungarian mushroom soup; the Omelette Bellingham with eggs and black forest ham; a Parisian sandwich with brie, prosciutto and apple served with salad; and a peanut butter pie.
Magdalena’s Bistro & Creperie is open from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday and Friday, and from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at 1200 10th St. in Bellingham.
