Recently we dined at a newer restaurant in our small town of Auburn. It is called Jospehine. A blend of French bistro and European classics. Husband and wife own the restaurant and both attended the Culinary Institute of America. Eric is the Executive chef and Courtney his wife is mainly the pastry chef.
We enjoyed a lovely roasted beet salad. They serve their dishes in lovely china.
Le Petit Picard
I am also writing about our French dining experience in Paris. Unfortunately no other photos. We did not have cell phones and most of us were not lugging around cameras to dinner. Petit Le Picard, which is now closed was located in the Le Marasis part of Paris. 
North of the Seine River. we experienced a wonderful meal while were on our barge trip in France. After some sight seeing, we were on the hunt for a restaurant. This was in the year 2000, the same year I was diagnosed with Ovarian cancer.
Delicious food. We were a party of 7. I was wearing a brand new turtle neck sweater. Everyone was being served. Time for my food to be served. He dumped my entire dinner on my lap. What could I say? Everyone was concerned about the waiter and not me. c'est la vie.
On the barge everyday, we stopped at locks, where the lock keeper grew fabulous veggies. Our chef lovely entrees, fresh sides and fabulous desserts that melted in your mouth. She always presented the desserts to us.
Another fabulous French dining experience was when I was single and living in Orange County, California. I was dating a shy man who took me to Chez Cary. A very upscale French restaurant in Santa Ana, Ca.
Ladies had foot stools for their feet. Mind you this was the smoking era, so cigar lovers were treated to cigar carts that came to your table. The cigar were bathed in cognac before being served. Gold Match boxes were presented to you with your names. Strolling musicians visited each table. White gloved service.
Service was impeccable. Service was at your own table with flaming, carving and tossing your salads. It was the first and last time I experienced Escargot. My date had ordered everything as the menu was in French. I looked at my Escargot appetizer and wondered what to do with it. They served them, with a tongs and tiny fork.
The women's menus did not have prices. My how times have changed.
A lovely dinner that leaves your taste buds totally satisfied. To top the evening off, you order a pousse-cafe. It is an array of cordials layered in rainbow like fashion.
The pousse-cafe consisted of a bottom layer of grenadine, then creme de cacao, white creme de cacao, creme de menthe, white creme de menthe and anisette. The very top is a brandy float.
I hope you have enjoyed my French dining experiences. Bon appétit!
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How fun Linda to look back and remember such a great trip. So happy you survived your bout with cancer. xoxo Kris
ReplyDeleteThanks Kris, memories are such treasures. The cancer cannot beat me. Xoxo
DeleteOh LInda, I just love this post! Well, first of all, all the French theme is fun-- but the food looks and sounds so beautiful and delicious, too -- apart from that on your lap. I certainly hope the restaurant made good on that -- a comp dinner (and a comp turtleneck or skirt would have been nice, too!) I'm glad that after your chemo you could have such a nice getaway as the barge tour, which sounds like tremendous fun. Your recent restaurant in Auburn looks lovely and I really appreciate their serving on beautiful dishes. What a treat!
ReplyDeleteThank you Jeanie. French food is so delicious and all of those fabulous sauces. The dinner on my lap did not amount to anything. no comp dinner, no dry cleaning offered . Oh well. It was a lovely trip after my surgery and long hours of chemo. We are thrilled to have such a lovely French restaurant in our little town.
DeleteI'm so glad you shared your experiences & journey with ovarian cancer. I have ovarian cancer as well. I love to travel & have managed to have several nice trips since diagnosis, although I did miss two!
ReplyDeleteI have a picture in Bath with what looked like a razor cut hair style. It was actually the first growth of my hair returning. I got so many complements, if I had had the courage I would have kept it! I do hope you continue to do well!
My pleasure, I have always shared my cancer journeys, I have had Ovarian cancer twice plus thyroid and skin cancer. Life goes on and you have to be a warrior. I got the same compliments on my short hair. I hope you leave me an email address, so I can respond. Many blessings on your cancer journey as well.
DeleteWonderful blog, Linda! I feel like I have gone to Paris and back. Funny I just made a card this week with the Eiffel Tower. Your story is charming (except for the cancer ordeal) and I am so glad you have come through that tough time!
ReplyDeleteThanks Anita, Paris is so fun and reliving the memories is fabulous. Yes your Eiffel Tower card is lovely. I am so happy to have beaten cancer multiple times,
DeleteWhat a very charmant post:) 21 yrs ..yikes has time flown or what?And what a gracious warrior you have been♥Poor you no caredabout a meal in your lap?? Unimaginable.
ReplyDeleteSo funny my first date with Jacques was in 1973..La Saulaie..high end French resto..no prices on women's menus..lol..I was 19 ..what to do...it closed many years ago and a replacement was tried to no avail closing after 1 yr..no comparison.in 2011 the land was sold for close to 2.5 million.Oh the memories this post brought up.
Thank you Monique. Time has flown. How sweet it reminded you of your first date with Jacques. You were so young. Sad when amazing restaurants close. So happy your memories were re-lived.
DeleteEach dish looked better than the last..What a treat..Lucky you..
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely, amazing adventures plus delicious food.
DeleteYour descriptions made me feel like I was there with you! I love travel, and food is a big part of that experience. PS - I like escargot!
ReplyDeleteThanks Amy. Travel is wonderful and I know you have had some wonderful trips. Good for you, you like escargot.
DeleteWhat fun and yummy pictures Linda. What a great adventure. Well, I have never had a meal dumped in my lap but I did go to the restroom once at a restaurant and came out with toilet paper hanging out the back of my pants! Talk about being embarrassed!!!! LOL! Thought you might get a chuckle. Hugs and blessings to you dear lady. Cindy
ReplyDeleteHi Cindy, thank you. The meal dumped in my lap was so unexpected. I survived…LOL how embarrassing to have that paper hanging off your pants. I think we all have that worry. It does make me giggle. Hugs and blessings Cindy.
DeleteYou transported me on your trip.
ReplyDeleteI felt bad about the food on your lap.
So happy you survived a horrible disease
Thank you Cindy. Aren’t wonderful memories fun? I am so glad air transported you away. I am so appreciative of being here after numerous cancer battles.
DeleteOh wow, Linda, I loved reading about your dining experiences. You looked so cute with your short hair, and I’m happy that you survived your cancers. Did anyone offer to pay for your meal when it was dumped in your lap? I’ll bet it was fun for you to think
ReplyDeleteBack on these experiences.
Thanks so much Kitty. Such short hair is so easy to care for. A trip we shall never forget. No, my meal was not comped. Happy week to you.
DeleteWow! My mouth is watering! The roasted beet salad in the first photo is so artistically presented. I'm not an escargot fan either, but I did eat frogs legs once and enjoyed them. Boy, that date who took you to the upscale French restaurant sure wanted to impress you! And now I want one of those rainbow pousse-cafes too!
ReplyDeleteThe roasted beet salad was so good and beautiful as well. No escargot for me...LOL I was totally impressed by the French restaurant. Beautiful memories.
DeleteWhat a wonderful post, I loved "armchair traveling" with you Linda! I didn't know you had ovarian cancer, so thankful that the treatment worked for you! I enjoyed your beautiful pictures of French cuisine, made me hungry!
ReplyDeleteThanks Marilyn. I love traveling virtually, although in person is the very best. Yes, I have beaten cancer 4 times. French cuisine is the very best.
DeleteOh- I drooled over every word. French food is my favorite! We don't have any French restaurants in our area at all. You will laugh at this-but some of the best French food I ever had was in Epcot World at The Bistro-a wonderful restaurant upstairs over the French cafe downstairs. My mouth is watering just remembering the meals I have had there over the years when we visited.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the barge trip story. You looked beautiful with short hair, too! xo Diana
French food is so delicious and all of those wonderful sauces. I am so glad you have fabulous memories of dining at Epcot World. memories are such treasures. Thanks Diane for the sweet compliment. xo
DeleteThat was really fun! Ramps are celebrated here in WV in the spring with a festival of all sorts of dishes cooked with ramps. They grow wild here. Were yours strong? I've tried escargot once at a restaurant Taste of All, and it was actually pretty good - lots of garlic! You look fabulous after treatment - no bringing you down, not even full spilled all over you! That after dinner drink looks as though it could be a signature celebratory for Pride month!
ReplyDeleteActually no, there were other herbs and flavors. Interesting they grow wild there. Nothing was going to bring me down. The cocktail is such a fun drink and yes, you are so right.
DeleteNo prices on the women's menus!! I remember those days, in NYC at very upscale restaurants. My how things have changed for sure. And you are a true survivor. xxoo
ReplyDeleteThank you Kim. Over the years, things have changed dramatically. I am lucky to be alive after surviving numerous cancers.
Deleteooo la la French cuisine is the very best! You're fortunate to have such a wonderful restaurant close to you, and I love the presentation on the pretty china, too.
ReplyDeleteYou are one strong lady, My Friend! I look up to you so much because not only are you a survivor, but you are an encourager and giver, too!!! Plus you really do rock short hair, so you're lucky because you can wear your hair so many different ways if you wanted.
The French restaurant you went to with Paul sounds nice and the food looks amazing. I'm glad you both were able to go out for a nice dinner. I enjoyed reading about your other French dining experiences. That is too bad about the dinner ending up in your lap and they didn't do anything to compensate for it. You looked beautiful Linda with the short hair even thought you had the cancer treatments!
ReplyDeleteDelightful! This Francophile enjoyed your post!
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness! I cannot believe the waiter dropped the food on your lap. Ugh. But it sounds like otherwise, it was a lovely trip. I am glad you found a local restaurant to really give you that French bistro experience. French food is my favorite, so I was salivating reading and looking at your photos.
ReplyDeleteFirst, Love your hair short! Secondly, I would love to go to Paris, I have only visited the French Riviera! Your local restaurant's food looks delish!
ReplyDeleteSuch a wonderful post Linda. God is good and thanking Him for your recovery! Never food in my lap, but a waiter spilled 4 glasses of wine on my husband and myself. It wasn't even our wine! I had on brand new suede boots. Ha ha, but when we got home you couldn't even tell where the stains were! no comps for that one either!
ReplyDeleteOh Linda, such a wonderful post about your French dining, travels and your cancer. Loved hearing about your barge trip. Other than having the waiter's tray dumped on you it sounds like a delightful trip. You looked great with the short hair. Fun to see photos of France, a lovely trip for you after your treatments.
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely post about French dining! Sadly on our trip to Paris we didn't eat at any great restaurants (it was a school trip so they mostly focused on cheap and quick)but we have enjoyed fine dining at French themed restaurants in the states.
ReplyDeleteLinda, that sounds like a charming experience. I haven't heard of it and will have to check it out when it feels safe to me. It makes me so mad that has to keep creeping into my head and thoughts. I was just reading Jacqueline and she tells of a charming French cafe in Santa Fe. It reminded me of a very sweet place in San Diego that was similar..I bet you are getting a lot of use from your pool..xxoJudy
ReplyDelete