Host Your Holiday Party with Chez Daniel

Now is the time to book your holiday party! As the premiere caterer within the Embassy Suites Bloomington, Chez Daniel's 5,600 square foot grand ballroom can hold up to 420 guests. 

The perfect way to thank your employees and co-workers for a great year, let our experienced catering managers make your holiday party at Chez Daniel a breeze. 

With plenty of great menu options plus the best contacts in the industry for entertainment and fun, treat your company to the ultimate experience of a Chez Daniel holiday party. 

Make this year's holiday celebration unforgettable! 

To reserve your date, contact our Catering Manager, Sheri DeGeorge, today at 952-967-8704.

Here's to some very happy holidays! 

La Toussiant & Le Jour des Morts

Happy November! Today, France celebrates the French holiday of La Toussaint (All Saints Day), and Le Jour des Morts (All Souls' Day). While Halloween is becoming increasingly popular with the globalization of American holidays and traditions, La Toussaint and Le Jour des Morts are both French through and through.

Celebrated annually on the day after Halloween (November 1st), La Toussaint is an authentically French holiday. (No American roots here). With origins dating back to the 5th century, La Toussaint began with the Celts celebrating Samhein at the beginning of November. Adapted into the church calendar, it wasn't officially celebrated in its current form, until Pope Gregory IV moved the holiday from May 13th and dedicated the day for the celebration of saints. Marked by the lighting of candles in cemeteries and decorating graves with chrysanthemums, La Toussaint is a day set apart for honoring the mother of God and all of the saints.

Then, the evening of La Toussaint also marks the eve of Le Jour des Morts, or All Souls Day, a day set apart for honoring the deceased. During this time, French churches are draped in black and people will commonly visit the graves of deceased loved ones to pray or sing. Additionally, some French will even host parties in remembrance which are highlighted with a special feast at midnight.

If you ever get a chance to be in Paris over La Toussaint, make sure you set aside time to visit the Pere-Lachaise Cemetary, which is one of the most famous cemeteries in all of France. Established by Napoleon I in 1804, it is the final resting place of many famous and historical figures worldwide and encompasses 110 acres of Parisian real estate.

However, don't be surprised if it's quite crowded, as La Toussaint and Le Jour des Morts are both French National holidays and fall during the time French children have a multi-week holiday off of school.


Wishing you all a Bonne fête de la Toussaint ! 

Thanksgiving Brunch at Chez Daniel - 2013

Our bountiful Thanksgiving Champagne Brunch is right around the corner! Join us from 10:30am to 2pm on Thanksgiving Day (Thursday, November 28, 2012) for a feast like no other. We'll have all of your traditional Thanksgiving favorites featured alongside our staple award-winning brunch offerings.

We sincerely hope that you'll join us this Thanksgiving and leave the cooking and cleaning to us, so that you can spend more time with your loved ones. Thanksgiving Brunch is priced as follows:

Adults: $28.95, Kids 5 to 12: $12.95, Kids 4 & under: Free.

To make your party's reservation, please visit Open Table online or call Chez Daniel at 952-888-4447. 

Joyeux Thanksgiving!

Cirque du Soleil's Return to Bloomington with Amaluna

As only an authentic French restaurant could be, we were terribly excited for Cirque du Soleil's return to Bloomington. We've been hearing all of the buzz surrounding their latest show, Amaluna, and hopefully you were able to catch the show under the Grand Chapiteau in the Mall of America's North Parking Lot. If not, this is your last chance as the circus wraps up its final performances for the Minneapolis leg of their tour this weekend.

Don't miss this opportunity to see a fabulous Cirque show and top the whole evening off with dinner at Chez Daniel.

We can't think of a better way to spend the weekend than by enjoying Cirque du Soleil and an authentic French meal at Chez Daniel! 

"Amaluna invites the audience to a mysterious island governed by goddesses and guided by the cycles of the moon." This mythical fantasy is played out in a series of acts that engage even the wildest of imaginations in a child friendly show that is sure to delight and engage your whole family.

Make sure you have your tickets for Amaluna and your reservations for Chez Daniel for one enchanting and exciting evening you won't soon to forget!


For more information on Amaluna, we invite you to visit Cirque du Soleil's website: CLICK HERE.

NEW Fall Features!

Starting today, Friday, October 11, we're pleased to present our brand new Fall Features menu. One starter, two sandwiches, an entree, and a dessert that all represent the bounty of the season.

Available for a limited time only, stop in and try some fabulous fall comfort food (with a French flair, of course):

NEW FALL FEATURES

Mac & Gouda Cheese Bites 

A classic created for us adults!

Macaroni & cheese lightly breaded and golden-fried, stuffed with delicious gouda cheese. Served with our house smoky tomato sauce. 

Turkey & Brie Sandwich

All-natural turkey breast & brie cheese topped with apple-lingonberry chutney on a buttery croissant bun. Served with sweet potato fries. 

Buffalo Chicken Pita Pockets

Romaine, tomatoes, avocado, pepper-jack cheese, beer-battered chicken, churrasco sauce & ranch stuffed in soft pita pockets. Served with our hand-cut fries. 

Apple Pork Loin

Slow-roasted and tender pork loin accompanied by house potatoes, topped with our signature apple-cream sauce & garnished with balsamic. 

Rustic Triple Berry Tart

Blueberries, blackberries, apples & raspberries wrapped in a homemade flaky crust with a hint of cinnamon & sugar glaze, topped with Madagascar vanilla bean ice cream ... Yum!

Just like the gorgeous fall colors, these specials won't be around forever, so don't miss out. Stop in this week. 

Bon Appétit !

Crème Caramel

We get to celebrate another fabulous food holiday on October 3 this week, National Caramel Custard Day! While that should be enough to pique your sweet tooth, we thought we would go one step further and devote a whole blog post to the French version of Caramel Custard, Crème Caramel.

Crème Caramel (commonly known as Caramel Custard or Flan) is a custard-based dessert topped with a layer of soft caramel. Crème Caramel remains a dessert staple in many European restaurants due to its ability to be prepared in advance. This doesn't necessarily mean it's easy to prepare, as both making the custard to the ideal consistency as well as preserving its integrity and keeping it from splitting takes care.

Composed of sugar, milk, cream, eggs, salt, and vanilla, the standard recipe for Crème Caramel involves making the caramel for the bottom of each custard cup. Then, one whips up the custard base and pours it over the caramel before baking the whole thing in a hot water bath. The final step involves inverting the cooled custard onto a serving plate at which point the liquid caramel tops the custard and drizzles down the sides.

A version of Crème Caramel is served throughout the world, with different regions "spicing" up their versions to accommodate local tastes and preferences. In Latin America, Crème Caramel may be enjoyed with Dulce de Leche, and in the Caribbean, different localities add things like cinnamon and coconut milk to their renditions. Additionally, in some parts of southern Vietnam, a black coffee is poured over the top of the dessert prior to serving. In fact, the only continent that doesn't have their own versions of Crème Caramel is Antarctica!

So, no matter where you're enjoying it or how you take your Crème Caramel, Happy Caramel Custard Day and bon appétit!

Wine Pairings for Your Favorite Fall Dishes

You may think it's time to put away those crisp whites in favor of the deeper notes and flavors in their red counterparts; however, your go-to bottle choice depends on the age old question, "What's for dinner?" Depending on your main course, the wine selection could be equally varied.

If you're looking for a great pairing for a hearty stew, cool-weather casserole, or beef dish, you're probably going to go red. While the steadfast Cabernet is generally a suitable choice for pairing with your savory fall feasts, we encourage you to branch out with a Syrah or a Malbec this autumn.

Syrah (also known as Shiraz) originated in France's Rhône region centuries ago. Increasing in popularity lately, Syrahs are generally full-bodied with common characteristics including cherries/berries, plum, chocolate, cloves, licorice, espresso, and black pepper. Richly sweet and just a bit spicy, Syrah is an ideal pairing for smoked/grilled meats, stews, and even lightly-spiced wild game dishes. It's also a great wine for those on a budget, because there are many approachable Syrahs and Shirazes on the market for under $30 a bottle.

Malbecs also originated in France, but in the Bordeaux region. Malbecs tend to be a little bit drier than Syrahs, but are equally tasty. With similar fruity notes, such as plums and berries/cherries, Malbecs can also have the spicy characteristics of black pepper, smoke, and earth. Gaining in popularity are Malbecs from Argentina, as they are one of the key wine varietals produced there. For your spicier fall meat dishes, try a Malbec pairing, as they work well with not only grilled fare, but ethnic dishes as well. From Mexican to Thai, Indian to Italian, the Malbec is a versatile and affordable choice.

If you're not feeling red and would like to enjoy a white on those warm fall afternoons, don't put away that corkscrew just yet. Dive back into France's Rhône Valley grapes and try a Rhône-style white blend. With higher ABV's than your typical white wine, you can expect fall-friendly notes of peach, apricots, pears, and of course apples perfectly balanced with herbs, such as lavender and sage. Also a versatile option, try decanting first and then pairing with your favorite cream or cheese-based pasta dish, broiled cauliflower gratin, or even your favorite nut-coated fish and poultry dishes.

We hope this gets you started on building your autumn cellar -- À votre santé!