January 2015 Newsletter

 
Celebrating 60 Years

 
 
New Year Greetings from Chef Jacques and Paul
 
Paul and I, and the entire L’Auberge Chez François family, wish you a very healthy, happy, and prosperous new year. We would like to thank each of you for your patronage, making 2014 one of our best years ever. The year started off with our 60th anniversary and ended with the announcement that we were once again awarded the Top 100 Restaurants in America for 2014 by Open Table Diners’ Choice. It is because of you, our loyal patrons, that we have had such great success. Merci beaucoup!

By popular demand, in 2015 L’Auberge Chez François’ team is expanding our special events: Chef Jacques’ hosted cooking demos and luncheons, music series dinners, wine and garden to table dinners, craft beer dinners, and oh so many more exciting events!

We are proud that we’ve been part of your friends and families’ celebrations and can’t wait to continue making more memories with you!

 
 
A Taste of Italian Wines 
Wine Dinner
 
Please join us on Wednesday, January 14, at 6:30pm for another in our series of sommelier-curated wine dinners, when Alex Bardsley AIWS will present the wines of the Veneto region of Italy. The winemakers here have long had a knack for catching the attention of the American market: think Soave and Valpolicella in the 1970s, and Pinot Grigio and Prosecco today. In ramping up production to industrial quantities, however, character and individuality are generally sacrificed, so Alex has selected wines by smaller producers, including some award winners. The evening’s selections will compliment a specially created five-course menu created by Chef Jacques.
 
Reserve Tickets
 
 
 
 
Freemark Abbey Vineyard
Wine Dinner
 
At press time, this event has sold out. Please call 703-759-3800 to be placed on a wait list in the event of a cancellation. The tasting of exceptional wines from Freemark Abbey Vineyard, established in 1886 by Josephine Tychson in St Helena, California will take place on Wednesday, January 21 at 6:30pm. Kicking off a history of innovation, Ms. Tychson became one of the first women winegrowers on record.  Ted Edwards, winemaker at Freemark Abbey Vineyards since 1985, and one of Napa Valley’s leading winemakers, will be joining us to discuss the evening’s selection of wines, followed and paired with a five-course dinner.  
 
Freemark Abbey
 
 
 
  

 

 
Open Table Diners’ Choice
Best Restaurants in America
 
We are honored to have been awarded the 2014 Top 100 Best Restaurants in America by Open Table Diners’ Choice. Open Table determines the list of honorees after analyzing more than five million reviews of nearly 20,000 restaurants across the country, all submitted by verified Open Table diners. The results are in, view the Top 100! Thank you to all our Open Table diners and to all our patrons. 
Top 100 Restaurants
 
 
 
 
 
Continuing a Patriarch’s Dream
 
We are honored to be featured in the January issue of Élan Magazine with Félicitations à Chez François, Part 2: Continuing a Partiarch’s Dream by Karen Washburn, a continuation of the history of Papa François Haeringer’s life, Chez François’ beginnings and the establishment of L’Auberge Chez François in Great Falls, VA in 1976. Papa was a pioneer when he opened the original Chez François on Connecticut Avenue in 1954 and continued to operate L’Auberge Chez François with “a nice ambiance, in a country setting, offering good honest food.” The restaurant’s enduring popularity is a testimony to his success with this approach.
 
Èlan Part 2
 
 
 
 
Our Barkeeper of 28 Years
 
Carlos Alberto Laureano, our master mixologist has been working for us since 1987. In fact, he is the second barkeeper we’ve had since we opened L’Auberge Chez François in Great Falls in 1976. The house aperitif, our traditional offering started by Papa Haeringer is made nightly by Alberto. And, if you’ve had the pleasure of sampling his Brandied Quince or Persephone’s Tears from our specialty cocktail menu, they were sure to please. Always with a smile, Alberto is one of our many long-serving team members. I salute him and our entire staff for their continued hard work and loyalty all these years.
 
Cocktail Menu
 
 
 
Recipe of the Month
 
Our family’s version of Kougelhopf en Neige Vanillé originates in the Alsace region of France. A featured dessert, served with a Vanilla sauce, is offered daily at L’Auberge Chez François. The soft caramelized baked meringue with a touch of kirsch and a small amount of orange and lemon zest result in a complexity of flavors. It all starts with a Kougelhopf pan, similar to a bundt pan, but a bit more intricate, and comes in a variety of sizes and patterns. Our Kougelhopf pairs perfectly with the bubbly Veuve Clicquot Demi-Sec, our Wine of the Month.
 
View the Recipe
 
Reservations
 
 
 
Wine of the Month
 
While Champagne suggests celebration, especially around the New Year, we like to think of it as the most versatile of wines at the table, suitable for any course and every occasion. When it comes to dessert, the Veuve Clicquot Demi-Sec, boasting a brilliant yellow-gold, manages to be lightly sweet yet refreshing, showing hints of orchard fruit, toast and a touch of honey, while the bubbles cleanse the palate. The frothy texture complements our Kougelhopf en Neige Vanillé, an Alsatian meringue dessert, especially well.
Veuve Clicquot
 
 
 
To Your Health
 
A certain amount of raw or lightly-cooked food in the diet is essential to good health. Uncooked foods such as raw fruits, vegetables, and salad along with sprouted grains and beans containing enzymes and nutrients are healthy for you. Don’t forget to enjoy raw oysters or Tartare of Arctic Char as they, too, provide essential nutrients. Dine in almost any Paris bistro and you will see many platters of raw oysters and Steak Tartare. Perhaps this is part of the French paradox, the lower incidence of heart disease despite the relatively high-fat diet.
 
Tartare of Arctic Char
 
 

 

 
 
Monsieur François Compétition
 
I want to congratulate Daniel M. of Springfield, VA for winning the December Monsieur François’ Profile Embellishment Competition. Daniel will receive a $200 gift certificate to L’Auberge Chez François.
 
 
 
 
Carnivore Lovers’ Valentine Cooking Demonstration
 
Cupid would not wait until next month to remind us to start planning now for his special day – Valentine’s Day. For all the lovers out there, please join Chef Jacques on Friday, February 6 at 11:00am for his Carnivore Lovers’ Valentine Cooking Demonstration. The demonstration will feature romantic dishes you can learn to make at home with step by step instructions, followed by a five-course luncheon paired with fine wines selected by our sommelier. And remember, love begins in the kitchen!
 
Reserve Tickets
 
 
 
Seafood Lovers’ Valentine Cooking Demonstration
 
The pleasures of the table, fine food and wine are an essential part of a passionate life. Please join us on Saturday, February 7 at 11:00am for Chef Jacques’ Seafood Lovers’ Valentine Cooking Demonstration featuring Salmon in Puff Pastry with Beurre Blanc, and Chocolate Passion Fruit Mousse Cake. A five-course luncheon will follow the demonstration, paired with fine wines. Romantic celebrations are a tradition at L’Auberge Chez François, and what better way to celebrate Valentine’s Day.
 
Reserve Tickets
 
 
 

Be sure to follow L’Auberge Chez François on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to get updates on our nightly specials, events, behind the scenes, and recipes! 

Best culinary wishes,
Chef Jacques

 
 
 
 
Make a Reservation
 
 
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L’Auberge Chez François
332 Springvale Rd Great Falls, VA 22066
Mail Us : chezlauberge@aol.com
Call Us : 703-759-3800

 
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