A Toast to the French

French Toast has to be one of my hands-down favorite foods. It's sweet, it's filling, and it soothes the soul in ways that an ordinary pancake or waffle simply cannot.

After years of eating and experimenting and eating some more, I still don't have a favorite recipe or bread type, as it always evolves depending on my current preferences.

From stuffed French Toast to a holiday version made with an eggnog-based batter, it's all good in my book. My "secret" variation on the traditional involves almond extract, and lately I'm quite partial to using a fresh Challah loaf for the bread.

How about you? What bread do you prefer? Do you have a favorite variation or recipe? Let me know, as I'd love to try it!

Passport to a Free Dinner!

Even though Chez Daniel is located within the Embassy Suites Bloomington, we are owned and operated by Tri City Restaurants, an independent restaurant management firm. Tri City works with the property group that owns and operates three of the Embassy Suites properties in the Twin Cities to lease their restaurant space.

As a member restaurant of Tri City, Chez Daniel is privileged to be part of a great trio of restaurants that includes Woolley's Steakhouse (located within the Embassy Suites Minneapolis Airport) and Cork's Irish Pub (located within the Embassy Suites St. Paul).

To promote the unity between all three restaurants, we are excited about our brand new passport program! Dine at any one of the three Tri City restaurants to receive your passport card and your first stamp! Then, try out the other two restaurants to earn additional stamps.

Once your passport is completed (and you've received a stamp for dining at all three locations), simply present your passport at any of the three restaurants for a free dinner!

It's a pretty easy way to try out some great new places (and get a free dinner in the process)!

Stop in to Chez Daniel this week to pick up your passport and earn your first stamp. We'll see you soon!

Are You for Croissant?

Buttery, flaky, delicious, and oh-so delightful, croissants are a veritable fixture on the French baking scene. In general, croissants are obtained at either a bakery or by placing little lumps of dough on a baking sheet and following the directions on that package you found in your supermarket's refrigerated section. 

The bakery variety are my personal favorite. Larger than life, occasionally covered in sugar or even containing chocolate or some other delectable filling, these croissants are the pièce de résistance of many a breakfast. 

While their refrigerated 'crescent roll' substitutes may work in certain recipes, they really don't hold much of a candle to the real thing. So what is one to do if you can't get to the bakery and the pre-fab ones won't suffice? How about try making your own?

Croissants use relatively few ingredients that are generally on-hand: milk, brown sugar, yeast, flour, salt, and butter. Plus, just think about how impressed your family and friends will be when you pull a batch of warm croissants out of the oven for all to enjoy. Set out some jam and my personal favorite, Nutella, and voila! Breakfast is served. 

What do you think? Do you make your own croissants, or do you have a favorite from a neighborhood bakery? Do you have a special accompaniment? We'd love to hear about it!

Sunday Brunch

Here at Chez Daniel, brunch is one of our favorite times of the whole week. During what's become a long-standing tradition, we love to see all of our guests, old faces and new, enjoying the spread!

Our Champagne Sunday Brunch is served from 10:30am to 2pm every Sunday. From carving stations and omelets to order to salads, pate, smoked salmon, and delicious sweets, our brunch can't be beat! Our brunch incorporates all the glory of traditional breakfast items, like bacon, sausage, eggs, pancakes, eggs benedict, and takes it up a notch with marinated mushrooms, salads, asparagus, large fruit displays, and more.

Join us this Sunday (or any Sunday for that matter) for a delightful feast!

Reservations at  952.888.4447.