Chez Daniel -- A Brief History

What does Chez Daniel mean? 

As with the countless French classes that visit, you may be curious as to the history behind Chez Daniel. Well, the French word "chez" most commonly translates to "at" or "at the house(/shop) of" and when used as a name for French restaurants, it depicts the concept of being welcomed into the house of the proprietor or chef. Therefore, Chez Daniel means at the house(/shop) of Daniel.

Who's Daniel?

Over 20 years ago, our own Executive Chef Pierre Jean Laupies, was encouraged by his good friend, Daniel Hubert, to move to Minnesota and assume the role of Executive Chef at a new French Bistro. In 1992, that vision become a reality when Chez Daniel opened its doors to offer elegant French cuisine in a delightful, yet unpretentious, atmosphere. Providing a genuine French dining experience without affectation, Chez Daniel is independently owned and managed by Tri-City Restaurant Management.

What is Tri-City Restaurants?

A hard-working, independent restaurant management company for over 30 years, Tri-City manages  Chez Daniel in addition to its sister restaurant, Woolley's Steakhouse, also in Bloomington. Both well-loved for their unique flavors and personalities, the quality and service at each establishment keeps guests coming back for more.

Now more than two decades later, Chef Pierre Jean still loves to delight guests with his authentic, award winning French fare. “After all these years, I still can’t explain what draws me to the kitchen,” says Pierre Jean of his culinary career, “It is a mystery to me. But it was always there.”

Bon Appétit!

Crêpes

When you say crêpes, most people think pancakes, but French crêpes aren't just a vehicle for sweet toppings. Crêpes are also a savory option when filled with more substantial, dinner-worthy fare. Don't take offense. We certainly believe that fruit and cream sweet crêpes are worthy of their own meal, but we wanted to show are readers the beauty of the crêpe's versatility!

Whether strawberries and cream, apples and caramel, fresh blueberries, Nutella or even Crêpes Suzette, sweet crepes can be filled with pretty much anything. Savory crêpes lend themselves equally to options ranging from bacon and mushroom or turkey and tarragon to spinach, tomatoes, ham, and cheese or the even spicier olive and chicken curry.

Crêpes are pretty simple to prepare, with the preparation further eased with culinary tools such as a crêpe pan and crêpe spreader. No matter your technique, the recipe is generally the same with flour, sugar, eggs, oil (or butter), and milk making up the sweet crêpe ingredients with the savory crêpes following suit, but simply omitting the sugar.

If you're interested in giving crêpes a whirl, but don't feel like making your own, it's a good thing the Minnesota State Fair is just around the corner! When you head to the Great Minnesota Get Together, make sure to stop at the French Crêperie or Minnesota Wine Country where both serve sweet and savory crêpes, so you can try 'em all!

Have a favorite crêpes recipe or simply a preference? Let us know in the comments. We'd love to hear from you!

Variety, It's What's for Dinner

Unlike other restaurants, we like to serve up a healthy dose of variety at every meal. (Ever witnessed our Sunday Brunch spread?) While we have our favorite dishes of course and we're sure you do too, we simply like the choice factor that options lends our menu.

Sure, this means that we need to ensure our culinary staff is well-educated on the preparation of each of the items on our menu, but isn't that the point? No matter who you bring to Chez Daniel, we're sure that each of you will find something to enjoy (and hopefully share). If you can't decide, we're always happy to have you back the next night.

From Steaks and Poultry to expertly prepared Seafood and Pasta dishes, our dinner menu offers guests a taste of France that they're not traditionally exposed to this far inland in North America. Add in the additional options for appetizers, our three house-made soups, salads, and Voila! You've got quite the meal to enjoy.

Stop in for dinner one night this week and see (and taste) for yourself what a difference having choices makes.

For reservations, call us at 952-888-4447 or reserve online at Open Table.

Wedding Fever

Love is in the air! At least that's what we believe based on all of the romantic and beautiful weddings we've had the pleasure of hosting this year. Pretty much every Saturday, we get to experience the joy of two individuals committing to one another and starting a new life together.

Our in-house wedding professionals, the Embassy Weddings team, work diligently to ensure that each and every wedding and reception is a one-of-a-kind affair, one that complements the love of two people and the joy of their families.

    

In our recently renovated full ballroom, we can accommodate up to 420 guests. If your list isn't that substantial, we can easily pare down the ballroom, with each quarter easily accommodating roughly 100 people. We've also seen creative ceremony options, such as the one below, taking place in one portion of the ballroom, with the reception held on the other side. 

If a ballroom ceremony isn't what you had in mind, our beautiful garden atrium is warm and inviting, no matter what the weather's threatening outside.

If love is in the air for you and a wedding's in your future, we invite you to contact us today at 952.967.8709 or bloomington.weddings@hilton.com. 

We look forward to helping transform your special day into the event of your dreams.