Debauve & Gallais Chocolates in N.Y.

France's Best Chocolates Arrive in new New York Store

Some of the best chocolates in France have now arrived on this side of the world .  New York houses the U.S. boutique of Debauve & Gallais founded in l800.  The intense flavor comes from the minimal use of sugar  and aside from the wonderful gold embossed chocolates they have 85% and even 99% for the serious chocoholics.

Debauve & Gallais,
20 East 69^th st.
New York, N.Y.
Phone: 212-734-8880 

Website: http://www.debauveandgallais.com. 

Restaurant "Bastide" - Provence in Los Angeles

This French native has brought to Los Angeles a truly refined and extraordinary cuisine. Alain Giraud’s cuisine is the essence Provence and the Andree Putnam designed space, with its enormous fireplace, it is pure pleasure. Try the Monk Fish with roasted vegetables and the great Provencal fish soup.

Restaurant "Bastide",
8475 Melrose Place
Los Angeles, California
Telephone: 323 – 651 - 5950

Restaurant "Sona" - Los Angeles

Another Los Angeles find, at "Sona" the attention to detail is dazzling. The tap water is filtered and the bread sticks (delicious) developed from a Ruglian starter that is a hundred years old. The simple cleanliness of the food (Salmon with just salt, lemon and shiso) it is astounding as is this minimalist setting. Definitive L.A.

Sona
1106 North La Cienga Boulevard
Suite 201
Los Angeles, California
Telephone: 310 – 854 - 7285

Master Chefs Open Their Kitchens to Amateur Cooks

L’Ecole Des Chefs Relais Gourmands:

This cooking school offers a unique culinary internship program for gourmet cooks.
Three years ago, L’Ecole Des Chefs Relais Gourmands took off with a bang. Passionate cooks across the nation responded with incredible enthusiasm to the groundbreaking news. For the first time ever, the public had access to the inner sanctum of the gastronomic world. "L'École des Chefs" offered a peek into the kitchens of world-famous chefs such as Guy Savoy, Daniel Boulud, Georges Blanc and Thomas Keller. The founder of "L'École des Chefs", Annie Jacquet-Bentley, says: " "L'École des Chefs" was a wonderful adventure for me and my partner, Yann Jacquot, and we are thrilled to pass it on to Relais & Châteaux. It is a perfect recipe!'

Relais & Châteaux has renamed the school "L’Ecole Des Chefs Relais Gourmands" and has expanded the program to represent their Relais Gourmands restaurant members worldwide and includes over 100 chefs in 18 countries. Regis Bulot, International President of Relais & Châteaux who started his career as a chef, had this to say: "What a great privilege to spend time with a famous chef and to get a glimpse of their exclusive world of culinary excellence. "L'École des Chefs" adds another ingredient to the exacting culinary standards of Relais & Châteaux.

For More Information and our story on a featured "Intern" who took the course at Oustau de Baumanière with 2 star chef Jean-Andre Charial "click here"

New Italian Food in the First Arrondisement of Paris!

Yet another culinary coup for the incredible Alain Ducasse. ”Il Cortile” ,1st arrondisement, brings him back to the Mediterranean cuisine he loves adding a new Italian restaurant to his ever growing gastronomic empire. Outstanding from the bread basket laden with Sardinian Carassatu bread to the coupe glacée Amaretto.
Hotel de Cortile, 37 rue Cambon Paris 1er. Tel 33 -1-44-58 45 67. But not stopping there, he has added this year a new "Spoons Restaurant" in St. Tropez at the hotel Byblos. This man must have a computer for a brian!

The first Michelin three star Italian chef, Gualtiero Marchesi, also conquers Paris in his new Italian restaurant located in the Hotel Lotti just off the Place Vendome. Very theatrical in style , his dishes are spectacular to see with edible gold leafon the "riz et safran" and delicious. Beautifully executed this restaurant is a must.
LeLotti, 9 rue Castiglione Paris 1er. tel. 33/1 42 60 40 62