About Us

LaTisha ''Ms Tish'' is a proud Army veteran and the powerhouse behind Bayside. Her love for cooking is only outmatched by her love for family and friends. ''This is a place of tenderness and respect, where the food is handled that way, specifically for you, because we love to serve,'' she said. ''The food truly is an expression of my heart.''

''When you're here, I want you to feel like you're at home,'' she said. A big part of that feeling is being treated to anything Latisha conjures up in the kitchen. Latisha has owned several of her own businesses and also works as an area realtor. But, making food? That's not so much a job as it is in her blood. ''Some people are very creative with words, others with drawings and paintings, and others, which I admire the most, are creative homemakers,'' she said. ''They can make a cardboard box into something beautiful. That's not where my talent lies. But I can make anything in the kitchen. If I have eaten it, I can make it.'' She is quick to add this: ''I'm not a baker, because there are rules.''

Darryl is a proud retired Navy veteran and still serves full-time as the First Army Public Affairs Officer at the Rock Island Arsenal. Back at Bayside Bistro, when not helping to manage the operation as Ms Tish's ''Quality Checker,'' Darryl can be found running the Bayside Smoothies stand at the Freight House Farmer's Market.

''My wife is an outstanding cook, in my opinion,'' he said.

''A lot of people would come back and ask us, 'How did you make this so good?''' Darryl explained. ''And we said, 'We make ours with love.'''

''When we met, I came from a background of soul food,'' he said. ''She was the first person who introduced me to asparagus. I had never heard of it before. She introduced me to a whole new way of eating.

''You can have what you love; you can have that bacon,'' LaTisha chided. ''But you can have it wrapped in something that's good for you.''

We'd love to meet you! Come by and see us!