- “Celebrating the Classics” 50th Anniversary Luncheon Experience
April 17, 2026
11:30 am - 1:00 pm
Please join us on Friday, April 17th, 2026 at 11:30am as the team at L’Auberge Chez François hosts a very special Anniversary Luncheon Experience. Join us as we celebrate our 50th Anniversary “Celebrating the Classics” and Honoring the Past.
Our team will guide you through some of the most well-known and customer favorite classic menu items for the last 50 years during our Classics Luncheon Experience, (of course sipping champagne, but of course). Learn 50 years of culinary history of Papa and Mama’s culinary journey from Washington DC to the present “French Countryside” of Great Falls.
Please enjoy our curated four-course menu, complete with delectable wine pairings and presentation of wines by our sommelier, Alex Bardsley.
Historie – Chef François Haeringer, Chez François and L’Auberge Chez François
François Haeringer was born January 6, 1919, in the Alsatian town of Obernai. As the first child born in Alsace after the region was returned to France at the end of the First World War, he received the name François. He started cooking at age 16 and worked as an apprentice in a local restaurant. Three years later, he went to Paris to work at the famed Hotel Plaza Athénée. When the Second World War started, he joined the French army and was captured by the Germans. Because of his cooking skills, he was sent to work at the Four Seasons hotel in Munich. After the war, Haeringer returned home to France, where he met his future wife Marie-Antoinette.
In 1948, Haeringer received his American immigration visa and took his new family to Washington, D.C. to work in his uncle’s restaurant. He was young and spoke no English but soon mastered both the language and the palates of Americans. He left Washington in 1950 and moved to Ketchikan, Alaska to run a hotel kitchen on the frontier. Following the birth of their first son, the family returned to Washington, D.C., where Haeringer began working at the Three Musketeers on Connecticut Ave. In 1954, he took over the restaurant, naming it Chez François. The restaurant made a name for itself, serving more than 500 meals a day to hungry Washingtonians, both famous and those who were just fans of simple, expertly prepared, classic French fare.
Today, L’Auberge Chez François is much the same as when François “Papa” first opened it. Family-run, with sons Paul in front of the house and Jacques as Executive Chef, Haeringer’s spirit infuses every aspect of the restaurant, as well as his meticulously crafted meals. He was a culinary icon in the Washington, D.C. community and he helped to set the standard for authentic French food that satisfied your appetite and your soul in a restaurant known for marriage proposals, celebrations of all kinds, and family memories. L’Auberge Chez François is open today, and the Haeringer family will continue to run L’Auberge Chez François. As Jacques states, “Papa would have it “no other way.”
Here’s to History!
50th ANNIVERSARY LUNCHEON EXPERIENCE
Celebrating the Classics!
To Toast and Amuse Bouche
Belle Jardin, Brut Blanc de Blancs
Corbeille du Pain Bread Basket
Multi-Grain, Sourdough, Local Butter
Papa’s Hometown Classic Alsatian Nueske
Applewood Bacon and Onion Tarte Flambée
Domaine Barmès-Buecher, Pinot Gris Rosenberg, 2023
La Salade de L’Auberge
with Papa’s Housemade Vinaigrette
Classic Grapefruit and Tarragon Sorbet
L’Auberge Chez François’ Classic Le Saumon Soufflé
(Debuted on our menu opening night in Great Falls, April 1976)
Norwegian Salmon, Seabass Mousse, Wilted Garden Spinach, Beurre Rouge
Domaine Barmès-Buecher, Pinot Noir Coteaux Calcaires 2024
Grand-Mère Cécile’s Kougelhopf en Neige
(Our Grandmama’s Recipe from Obernai)
Soft Caramelized Meringue with Kirsch and Tahitian Vanilla Sauce
Julius Meinl Coffee Service, Selection of Harney & Sons Fine Teas
Event Price: $106.00 (Per Person; Excludes Tax & Gratuity) for a Total of $140.00 Per Person.
Tickets non-refundable. Patrons will be able to purchase this afternoon’s wines at a very special price. We are happy to accommodate guests’ dietary concerns. Please email chezlauberge@aol.com or call 703-759-3800 with special requests. If sold out, please ask to join our wait list.
Please remember to sign up early, as seating for our grand 50th month events is limited. If we are sold out, please call to join our wait list. Merci! Patrons will have an opportunity to purchase these delectable wines at a very special price this afternoon.
