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.

Cognac - In Review

As a self-respecting French restaurant, we have our share of cognacs. Outside from what you hear about cognac through pop culture references, how much do you really know about this French liquor?

Well, we've compiled our own little Top 5 list of things that you need to (or at least should) know about cognac.

1. Cognac is actually a variety of brandy.
2. Cognac gets its name from the town in France. (And, it's actually produced in the wine-growing region around the town).  
3. The French are very serious about their cognac. For a brandy to be labeled as cognac, rigorous standards apply, such as the type of grapes, the aging process and length, and more!
4. Depending on the age and blend, cognacs have several official grades which relate to the quality of the cognac. V.S. (Very Special), V.S.O.P (Very Superior Old Pale), and XO (Extra Old) are the main quality grades. 
5. Some of the best cognacs will cost you a pretty penny. Many top rated cognacs sell for upwards of $5,000 per bottle, and the exclusive Remy Martin Louis XIII Black Pearl Limited Edition (released in 2008) dropped on the market with a price tag of $34,000 for 750 ml.

Now that you know a little more about cognac, stop in and try it for yourself. While we don't have the Remy Martin Louis XIII Black Pearl Limited Edition, we do have a nice variety depending on your tastes (and wallet).

Courvoisier - V.S. and Napoleon

Hennessey - V.S., V.S.O.P, X.O., and Paradis

Martell - V.S., V.S.O.P, and X.O

Marte - Cordon Bleu

Remy Martin - V.S., V.S.O.P, X.O

Delamain - Pale & Dry

Á votre santé!

Restaurant Week was a Hit!

Restaurant Week was a hit, and we just can't wait to do it again. We had so much fun and it was so nice to see all the new faces, and based on the reviews we've been reading, it appears that you all had a blast as well!

We were so humbled and gratified while reading the reviews, we just had to share them. Believe me when I say that you made us giddy, friends, giddy. In no particular order, here are some of our favorites:

Chez Daniel has been my favorite restaurant for YEARS!! I take special people there to have a "SPECIAL" dining experience and we DO!! 

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We were very surprised. We generally do not go to Hotels for dinner. Restaurant Week is a wonderful time to experiment with the 'unknown'. We did, and we came away very satisfied with Chez Daniel. Everything was very tasty and our service was wonderful. I really don't like to eat with the hotel background, but this was okay and not bad. We'd go again, and surely recommend to others.

Special Features: 

fit for foodies, good for groups, neighborhood gem

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The food was amazing, portion sizes were just right, and we were served by the friendliest of people. All around, a very positive experience at Chez Daniel! 

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It was a very nice dinner, with attentive service.

Special Features: 

fit for foodies, great for brunch, romantic, special occasion

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The sea bass was, quite possibly, the best fish I've eaten. Appetizer selection was great...varied and we had scallops, shrimp, and Brie which were all fantastic! Our waitress was friendly, attentive, and knowledgeable. Other staff was attentive to our needs including refilling drinks, taking plates away, etc. Restaurant is inside a hotel so it's a bit of a casual scene for such a pricey place but I enjoyed not having to get dressed up. Jeans are completely appropriate here.

Special Features: 

fit for foodies, good for groups, kid-friendly, special occasion

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I was very impressed with the whole overall experience of this restaurant. From the greeting to the food to the wait staff, all was fabulous!

Special Features: 

fit for foodies, special occasion, great for lunch

Thanks to your kind reviews, we're the #2 restaurant in ALL of Bloomington on Trip Advisor! 

We tried this place because we saw it on the restaurant week list and are very glad that we did.

I saw some reviews that were talking about poor service but fortunately we did not experience that, we made a reservation for 6pm and beat most of the rush. By the time we were leaving the place was very packed but it seemed like the wait staff was still managing well. 

The food was fantastic! We tried: escargot, shrimp, scallops and brie appetizers, lamb and filet mignon for entree and the creme brulee and cream puffs for dessert. Every bit of food we had was great and I would recommend all of it. That being said the restaurant week price was a VERY good deal and we got four courses for less than the typical entree price, if we had been paying normal prices we would not have been able to try all of those items. 

So, if you visited us during Restaurant Week, thanks so much for giving us a try. And, if you shared your experience, so that others know about Chez Daniel, many thanks again. We really appreciate it! 

Until next Restaurant Week, Au Revoir!

Restaurant Week - July 8 - 13, 2012

We're so excited about this week, because it's not just any week, it's Mpls St Paul Magazine's Restaurant Week, and we're participating for the first time EVER! Beginning Sunday, July 8 and running through Friday, July 13, we'll be offering several three-course lunch and dinner options at some great price points. 

We hope you'll join us for lunch, dinner, or maybe both, since the combinations are endless!

Lunch — $20

Appetizer (Choose one):

Cream of Mushroom Soup

French Onion Soup

Entrée (Choose one):

Cranberry Chicken Salad - Mixed greens, dried cranberries, red onion, strawberries, gorgonzola cheese, cranberry-port vinaigrette, grilled chicken, and toasted walnuts

Coconut Shrimp Salad - Spinach, red onion, mango, pears, strawberries, pineapple, balsamic- blackberry vinaigrette, candied pecans, and coconut shrimp

Philly Steak Sandwich - Beef tips, sautéed mushrooms, onions, green peppers, Swiss cheese, and mayo on a toasted baguette with au jus

Avocado Chicken Melt - Grilled chicken, avocado, pepper jack cheese and roasted red pepper aioli served on sourdough bread

Walleye Sandwich - Canadian walleye beer-battered and fried, served on a toasted bun with creamy tartar sauce

Cranberry Turkey - Sliced turkey and gouda cheese with arugula and cranberry cream cheese on wild rice bread

Chez Daniel Sandwich - Parmesan-crusted sourdough, grilled chicken, mozzarella , prosciutto, tomato, greens, and balsamic vinaigrette

Lobster Ravioli - Wild mushrooms, artichokes, lobster tarragon sauce

Chicken Penne - Toulouse sausage, chicken, tomato cream, mozzarella, balsamic-fennel marinated red peppers, and onions

Chicken Chandelaise - Pan-seared chicken breast, wild mushrooms, prosciutto, none wine cream, mashed potato

Quiche du Jour - Served with straw potatoes, vegetables, and house salad

Dessert (Choose one):

Crème Brulee - Homemade brandied vanilla custard

Profiteroles - Cream puffs filled with vanilla ice cream, topped with hot fudge and raspberry coulis

Chocolate Mousse

Dinner — $30

Appetizer (Choose one):

Escargots - Wild burgundy snails baked in garlic butter

Scallops - Seared sea scallops on potato pancakes with crab, hollandaise sauce and truffles

Pistachio Crusted Brie - Panko and pistachio-crusted French brie with honeycomb, lingonberry sauce, and crostinis

Shrimp Chandelaise - Shrimp sautéed with a wild mushroom and prosciutto in a none wine cream sauce

First Course:

House Salad - Mixed greens with walnuts, pickled red cabbage, carrots, and tomato in a tarragon vinaigrette

Entrée (Choose one):

Lobster Ravioli - Lobster ravioli with wild mushrooms, roasted artichokes, and lobster tarragon sauce

Seafood Linguine - Shrimp, salmon, scallops, mussels, clams, and fennel tossed in a spiced tomato-caper sauce

Filet Mignon - Pan-seared filet mignon with béarnaise sauce & house potato

Lamb Chops - Pan-seared, provencal-herb crusted lamb chops with demi-glace and house potato

Filet of Sea Bass - Sea bass with leeks, morel mushrooms, and none wine cream sauce with pancetta risotto

Scottish Salmon - Salmon with stone ground mustard cream sauce and tomato coulis with golden jewel grain blend

Roasted Duck - Roasted duck with golden jewel blend, blackberry-pear sauce, and port wine reduction

Dessert (Choose one):

Crème Brulee - Homemade brandied vanilla custard

Profiteroles - Cream puffs filled with vanilla ice cream, topped with hot fudge and raspberry coulis

Chocolate Mousse

We hope you're just as excited as we are! Join us all this week for Restaurant Week by making your reservations at 952.888.4447 or online at Open Table.