Voulez-vous… dîner avec moi ce soir?

As longtime residents of Paris, we know that even with a carte de séjour and a mastery of la langue de Molière, it can still sometimes be difficult to overcome cultural barriers and find French acquaintances. So obviously it’s that much harder for visiting tourists to get a peek into the real France, and the locals who inhabit it.

Enter Voulez-Vous Dîner, a new twist on social networking which mixes travel, cultural exchange, and a home-cooked dinner with strangers.

The idea is that visitors to Paris (tourists, expatriates, business travelers) can connect with Parisian locals in their homes over a home-cooked gourmet dinner. Hosts are carefully selected based on several criteria, including their residence, cooking ability, cultural openness and of course, fluency in English! Hosts and guests sign up via the Voulez-Vous Dîner website and both are able to specify their areas of interest, providing assured dinner conversation topics.

So whether you’re a visitor to Paris looking for a change from the traditional French brasserie or a local Parisian interested in showing off your hospitality and mastery of French gastronomy, there’s just one simple question:

Voulez-vous dîner?

Château dinner

We were recently invited to dinner by a chateau-owner, or châtelain, who has a château about 35 minutes from Paris.  Madame Châtelaine, who spends most of her time in the US, singlehandedly oversaw the entire renovation of the château, from the carefully aged tiles in the bathrooms to the antique furniture that graces each uniquely decorated room.

So it wasn’t surprising that Madame Châtelaine would be able to host a gourmet dinner for 10!  And it wasn’t just the food that was remarkable – Fête in France’s dinner companions were:  two blonde Eastern-Europeans/former professional tennis players; an endearing English businessman and his wife, who had the most wonderful continental European accent; a very elegant older couple who traveled the world and who were great patrons of opera and ballet; a charming French businessman from Versailles.

Despite the evident gap in age, means, and social status (alas, we do not count Lenny Kravitz or Sharon Stone among our “besties”) we had such a great time!  Actually, this is one of the occasions where the word “marvelous” would do it more justice: we had such a marvelous time!

So we’re crossing our fingers that we’ll have the chance to get back to the château, whether it’s for another dinner or even better, for a wedding we’ve booked!

Breathtaking luxury château…only 35 minutes from Paris

We were recently lucky enough to visit a truly fabulous château (and trust us, we see a lot of fabulous places!). So what sets it apart you ask? Let us count the ways…
1) located only 35 minutes from Paris so you’re there before you have time to make it through your favorite ipod playlist
2) A grand entrance to greet you with a large gate and cobblestoned drive
3) Beautiful grounds with a lake, forest and elegant French gardens designed by no other than the master of the art – Le Nôtre
4) Chapel for a wedding ceremony of up to 100 guests
5) A reception room ideal for 60-70 guests
6) Guest accommodation site for up to 30 people in rooms decorated with French antiques and modern bathrooms (the best of the past and present!)
7) Period costumes on hand…gentlemen, start powdering your wigs and ladies, start channeling your inner Marie Antoinette.

Interested? More information and pricing upon request.

Super Bowl XLIV – Google’s Parisian Love ad

It is an unlikely place to find a charming, sweet, endearing ad.  But the agency chosen by Google hit the perfect note!

Parisian Love

A New Year’s Wedding in Paris

An Australian couple kicked off Fête in France’s 2010 weddings.  They braved the cold Parisian weather for a heart-warming ceremony with a group of close friends and spent the crisp clear winter afternoon taking pictures around Paris with One and Only Paris Photography.

Gourmet nights: there’s a chef in the kitchen!

A friend of Fête in France’s recently hosted a dinner party at his apartment – a pretty standard occurrence in Paris – except for the fact that a professional chef prepared all the food and wine pairings.

Whatever you call them – “hidden kitchens” or “secret supper clubs” or “gourmet nights” – they are a great way to spend an evening with friends in a nice, homey setting.

Our menu included two different amuse gueules, a delicious velvety asparagus & leek soup, wonderfully seasoned lamb chops, a selection of the *best* cheese I’ve had in a long time, and a decadent chocolate semi-freddo for dessert.  Throughout the dinner we were bien arrosé with champagne and wine and finished off the evening with digestifs of Calvados and Croatian liqueur.

A gourmand way to start the year – balanced out by healthy eating the rest of the week!

Tip: If your group is vacationing in Paris and your vacation rental has the kitchen space, hiring a chef for a private meal can be a memorable part of your trip!

And the winner is…

…France!

International Living has posted its 2010 Quality of Life Index and France is on top!

Read the article and see how other countries ranked.