It’s been a little over a year since I’ve posted on BKFrench.com but just as French culture in Brooklyn grows, so do my cravings for everything French. Without finding a way to include commentary on the Parisian-ish second season of “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” as I’d very much wanted for this welcome back post, I’ve weaved together some of my recent francophile fun and plans for this blog, as the former are the inspiration for new French food and cultural adventures.

“Frealthy”
On a sometimes fragile, sometimes solid mission to get fit—egg whites ’n green tea mornings, celery ’n carrot afternoons, chocolate chip cookies ’n ice cream nights that follow a rich lamb and mashed potato dinner, and not to mention taco Tuesday—while saving money, my own personal focus has shifted from eating out to cooking at home.

In my clean-eating efforts, I’ve discovered some great substitutions for classic French recipes that keep the traditional je ne sais quoi flavor. Hence, I’m excited to announce that BKFrench.com will feature a weekly cooking page on French meals with a healthy twist.

A lil’ French here, a lil’ French there, a lil’ French everywhere
The week after the school year ended was the absolute right time to visit the most magical place on earth: Disney World in Orlando, FL. Our offsite hotel, great. The parks, spectacular! The food, standard, if not what I’m used to as a foodie from a global cuisine capital. Disney World’s food was so-so, until we finally ate at Be Our Guest—an excellent restaurant based on Disney’s 2017 movie, Beauty and the Beast.

Be Our Guest was magical. After a great meal, we got to meet and hug and high five the Beast! Watching my son have that experience meant the world to me. As an avid Yelp user, I almost heeded the advice of some negative reviews of the restaurant, but I’m so glad I didn’t. This experience is one of many inspirations for another new page of BkFrench.com. Frippin—French tripping— will list awesome French cultural events and restaurants to try across the country.

Newest and truest restos
As I still love to dine out or order in weekly, I’d be remiss not to list a few new Brooklyn French restaurant must tries (asap):

• La Cafette – A quaint nod to marine-life for seafood lovers that touts octopus, roasted chicken and salmon entrees.
• Citroën – Authentic classics, coq au vin, French onion soup and cauliflower gratin reign supreme at this intimate Greenpoint newcomer turned neighborhood favorite.
• Maison Yaki – The Japanese-French fusion invasion occurring in Brooklyn (and Manhattan) may have been going on for decades, but now Maison Yaki presents an affordable version of this east-meets-west cuisine. Go here for amazing yakitori skewers dipped in French sauces.

Just a note of thanks to my readers for your patience. I’ve certainly missed researching and writing about my francophile experiences and I can’t wait to jump back into it. Hope you enjoy and feel free to comment!

Michelle Wright

Photo by 1905 Travellers on Unsplash