Author Archives: Francois L'Auberge

July also brings inspiration for “moi” in the kitchen. We have squash, peppers, cucumbers, beans, and (finally) tomatoes coming out of our two on-site gardens. Fresh herbs are also in abundance and I’m prompted to come up with dishes that feature our home-grown produce in the most delicious ways. All of our dishes are garnished with our garden vegetables and herbs in season; and, the best part – whatever we make can be eaten outside, under the stars. We even added a Full Moon Dinner Under the Stars event on July 27th, with a garden-to-table menu!

Undoubtedly, there will be a few brutally hot summer days this month, but a chilled glass of Champagne or one of our draft craft beers with a freshly picked vegetable or tomato salad are a guaranteed antidote to the most withering summer days, especially in our brand new  wine and
beer garden- the perfect happy hour spot under the shade of our giant trees..

August is around the corner, and features five special events  for the hot summer months.  We
continue our musical brunch series, with guitarists Alex Barnett and Jarrett Laskey; a “Chef Jacques’ Gardens to Table” cooking demonstration and luncheon, our monthly wine festival and luncheon, and a new romantic dinner series, named after my romantic cookbook “Two for Tonight”.  Be sure and join in the fun.

Cheers to summer!

Chef Jacques, Paul Haeringer, and the L’Auberge Chez
François team

We’ve all waited a long time but the weather is finally nice enough for outdoor dining on our terraces. You can eat outdoors at L’Auberge Chez François or downstairs at Jacques’ Brasserie, “mais oui”, but of course. Our organic, kitchen gardens are an easy stroll from either terrace if you’d like to see where the salad greens, herb, peppers and more for the entire restaurant are being grown. You’ll also see that the tomatoes are coming in and we’re just a month away from fresh, tomato salads from the garden. Did I mention the newest addition to our gardens? Two types of hops are being grown for our own IPA and lager-style beers; “à votre santé”!

To celebrate the upcoming the summer season, and our Bastille Day, we are announcing a full slate of very special events lined up for the month of July. Kicking off these events, we are honored to welcome back the fabulous Wolf Trap Opera Filene Young Artists, accompanied by a very special dinner. They bring some of the brightest vocal talent to Wolf Trap’s stages every summer, and again to our delight at L’Auberge Chez François.

July brings two Bastille Day celebratory events, including a Bastille Day “Let them eat gâteau” cooking demonstration and luncheon featuring the wines of Boisset Collection, complete with lively songs and merriment. La Fête Nationale Française musical brunch, featuring the highly acclaimed French music of Lynn Veronneau. A Chateau Ste. Michelle wine dinner with winemaker David Rosenthal. Also planned is an exciting full moon total lunar eclipse Garden to Table Dinner; and rounding out the month, a musical garden party brunch featuring the music of our patron favorite, Alexander Barnett.

What has become a highly anticipated yearly event by our guests and servers alike, our annual Bastille Day servers race will begin at 5:00 PM on Saturday, July 14. Inspired by the famous footrace in Paris, on the Avenue des Champs-Élysées, the Course des Garçons de Cafe, is a century-old Bastille Day tradition where servers race with fully loaded trays, avoiding spills on their route. Join in on the action and cheer for your favorite servers as they compete in this exciting race, re-created around our grounds and gardens.

Cheers to a delicious culinary summer!

Chef Jacques, Paul, and the team of L’Auberge Chez François

Best Culinary Wishes,
Chef Jacques

The upcoming month promises to be delicious at L’Auberge
Chez François. Although delayed by this year’s chilly spring, the gardens are
now in full flush. We are serving the salads of the season made exclusively
from greens grown right here on the property. You can’t beat the freshness and
flavor of organically grown greens that have traveled only a few yards to reach
your plate. Each year we refine the varieties of lettuces and greens that we
grow to create the perfect salad.  We hope you’ll come in and tell us what you
think of this year’s selection of Bibb, arugula, and mesclun lettuces, as well
as spinach and kale.

This June, we are celebrating Father’s Day and all the Dads
out there. We have a full line-up of special events, including my Father’s Day
Grill Fest Cooking Demonstration and Luncheon on Saturday June 16, and our Full Moon
Party on Thursday June 28, featuring “red hot” rosé wines, which promises to be an
exciting night of fun on our outdoor terrace.

My brother Paul and I want to toast the fathers and raise a
glass to our Papa François. Everyone thought dad was crazy when he moved his
restaurant from Washington D.C. to the “country” forty-two years ago. He was a
pioneer and, if I may say so, a brilliant restaurateur who cared deeply about
his customers. We’re happy to continue the traditions he started all of those
years ago and happy that so many of you will be celebrating your own fathers
with us this month at L’Auberge Chez François and Jacques’ Brasserie. See you
soon!

Until next month;
Chef Jacques, Paul, and the team of L’Auberge Chez François

Best Culinary Wishes,
Chef Jacques

Spring will indeed arrive soon! 

We are getting ready for you, cleaning and preparing for what will be warmer weather.  We are mulching, landscaping and planting so that you may enjoy our beautiful scenery. We invite you to walk the grounds and visit our two large organic vegetable gardens. We are already harvesting ultra-fresh spinach to add to our salads and also featured in the grilled shrimp and local goat cheese salad, (one of my favorite healthy, leafy green vegetables).

This May, we are pleased to offer you a new month of eight very special events at L’Auberge Chez François, including a Celebration of Mother’s Day Cooking Demonstration and Luncheon.  Might we suggest this lively culinary event or one of our other May Special Events as a gift for Mom? Upcoming Culinary events include Chef’s Jacques’ Table,featuring the delectable wines of Cass Vineyards; why yes, a “Spring Fling”Cooking Demo and Luncheon hosted by moi; The Best of Virginia Wine Dinner featuring the Award Winning Glen Manor wines; our popular Printemps Wine Fest and Luncheon and  Two Musical Brunches,including a Rosé Garden Brunch.  Why not begin your Memorial Day weekend in style with an all new Friday Night Wine Around on our beautiful terrace, enjoying our Seasonal Canapes, overlooking our Gardens?  You can view all of our upcoming May events here.

Please be sure to follow L’Auberge Chez François on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for behind the scenes photos, specials, and more.

 Best Culinary Wishes,Chef Jacques, Paul, and the team of L’Auberge Chez François

Best Culinary Wishes,
Chef Jacques

April also brings us the
amazing musical talents of Prince Havely and Efi Tovi, returning for three
exceptional musical events after a sold out performance in March. Prince and Efi will be performing all your
favorite show tunes for two musical brunches, and a Friday Night Musique et Cuisine experience featuring the songs
of Cole Porter, Rogers and Hart, Fat Waller and Duke Ellington. I am also thrilled to host one of
Alsace, France’s most prestigious vineyards and highly rated wines at Chef Jacques’
Table featuring the wines of Domaine Weinbach. You may view all of our upcoming events here.

Thanks for your patronage,
support and friendship through the years! We hope to see you at one of our special celebration events.

Cheers,
Chef Jacques, Paul, and the team of L’Auberge Chez François

Best Culinary Wishes,
Chef Jacques

Keep an eye out for the new menu at Jacques’ Brasserie in March. We will be
adding several new dishes, including some new vegan menu options.

We have a full schedule of festive special events for March, including a dinner
featuring the wines of Buena Vista Winery from California with special guest, The Count of Buena Vista – Agoston Haraszth. Later in the month, we will be partnering with Virginia’s Williamsburg Winery for a sumptuous wine dinner in our Virginia’s Best series. We have three musical brunches scheduled as well as our ever popular Wine Festival and Luncheon. Back by popular demand, will be welcoming back local singer and songwriter Shane Gamble at our Musique et Cuisine dinner. We hope to see you there.

We wish you love, romance and delicious food.

Until next month,
Chef Jacques, Paul and the team

Best Culinary Wishes,
Chef Jacques

I want to personally thank all of our
customers for making 2017 such a great year for our little slice of Alsace here in
Virginia. We were thrilled to be named one of OpenTable’s Best Restaurants in
America for 2017 for the fifth year in a row, among a number of other accolades
for the year.

In 2017, we also
increased the size of our on-site vegetable gardens to bring more produce right
from the garden to your plate and offered more wine tastings, Chef’s Table dinners, and special events than ever before. And, most importantly, the
brasserie burger (with foie gras as an option) is now on the menu every day of the week at Jacques’ Brasserie.

February equals romance at L’Auberge Chez François. We have a full month of romantic special
events, including two cooking demonstrations and luncheons, two musical brunches, wine dinners, and a special Valentine’s Eve Champagne dinner! We hope to see you and your valentine at one of these events.

If you have suggestions or ideas about what you would like
to see at L’Auberge Chez François and Jacques’ Brasserie in 2018, email us at
chezlauberge@aol.com. Perhaps you have a favorite dish that you haven’t seen recently on the
menu or enjoyed an event you’d like us to repeat. We’re open to your ideas on
how to make 2018 special for our customers.

We wish you a happy and delicious 2018!

Chef Jacques, Paul, and the team of L’Auberge Chez François

Best Culinary Wishes,
Chef Jacques

This was again a momentous year for us at L’Auberge Chez François and we have our loyal customers to thank for our ongoing success. We celebrated forty one years in Great Falls, Virginia and sixty-three total years in the Washington DC and metropolitan area.

Holiday celebrations came early for us this year as we were awarded OpenTable’s Best Restaurants in America for 2017, for the fifth year in a row, based on 12 million diner reviews of over 25,000 restaurants. L’Auberge Chez François and Jacques’ Brasserie were awarded in several categories of Open Table’s Diner’s Choice Awards. We were thrilled to have received an “Extraordinary to Perfect” rating by Zagat in 2017, a Certificate of Excellence from Trip Advisor, Washingtonian Top 100 Restaurants and Northern Virginia Magazine’s 50 Best Restaurants. Merci beaucoup, we are truly humbled and honored.

Still need to find the perfect gift for your friends and family? I say give the gift of good food and wine. We also feature engraved glassware, 100% silk scarves, cookbooks, DVDs and more. If you’re still uncertain, a gift certificate may be used at either of our restaurants, special events or merchandise. Browse merchandise at our online store here or purchase gift certificates online. If you would like to order a Bûche de Noël or any other full dessert, please email us at chezlauberge@aol.com, at least 48 hours in advance.

Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas! We hope to see you soon.

Chef Jacques, Paul and the team at L’Auberge Chez François and Jacques’ Brasserie

A Chef’s Christmas Poem by Jacques Haeringer

T’was the night before Christmas, and all through the kitchen
Chefs scurried about while groaning and bitchin’.
The sauces were simmering and seasoned with care,
Because soon the reveling hordes all would be there.
The tables were set, and not a moment too soon;
Both waiters and hosts looked ready to swoon.
Will we ever be ready? It’s so hard to tell;
Our chances are as good as a snowball in hell.
The pressure was on. The geese were a-roasting,
As partiers began all their holiday toasting.
With bags full of presents, dressed in festive apparel.
Our guests made such a racket that drowned out the carols.
In the kitchen waiters shouted, while cooks swore through their teeth.
The scene was pure bedlam, not a moment of peace.
The chef, he bellowed, to the cooks on the line,
“Move your derrières, make those plates look sublime.”
“I want everything hot, let us make haste,
Move onward you cooks, there’s no time to waste.”
The chef looked about, then said with a shrug,
“To all a good supper and a hearty bah humbug!”