Fantasizing About Your Next Getaway to France? A Taste of France...

On Thursday, May 23rd, a piece of France was brought to Miami at The Shore Club South Beach and transported us all to our next vacation. The Provence & Côte d’Azur tourism board hosted a spectacular exhibition for traveling services in the south of France. The event gave attendees a chance to meet over 25 representatives from various tourist offices, cruise clubs, hotels, and transportation companies based in certain regions of France such as Nice, Marseille, and Saint Tropez.

We were also asked to join for a Provençal cooking demo and cocktail dinner for a taste of France by their very own Michelin-starred Chef, Dominique Frerard, who is the Executive Chef at the Sofitel Marseille Vieux-Port‘s Gastronomic Restaurant, Les Trois Forts. He is known for his signature plate, the classic Pigeon from “Bresse”, breast tenderloin “en pastille” with eggplant and sweetly spiced fig chutney and mint couscous. With these introductions alone, my mouth was already watering before the tourism presentation and cooking demo began. During the presentation, we were able to learn that the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur regions really do offer a special place for anyone’s next getaway to France.

Provence-Alpes-Cote d’Azur, France
Carrières de Lumières
Saint-Tropez
Cap-d’Ail
Cannes

As each travel rep introduced their hotel’s accommodations for travel, we got a preview into these gorgeous lands located in the south of France. They lie between the Mediterranean and the Alpes overflowing with history, traditions, and cultural heritage. You wouldn’t believe what awaits you as France offers travel filled with sandy beaches and small coves, hilltop villages and cities of art and history with magnificent landscapes of olive and lavender fields, vineyards, and vast mountains that will take your breath away.

I think it’s just about time for a visit, don’t you agree?

The Provençal Cooking Demo

Our cooking demo by Michelin-Starred Chef Dominique Frerard included a tasting of seared tuna paired with a house Rosé wine. We were all pleasantly surprised by the set up as we were welcomed to our own place settings with a custom Provence apron and the intention to learn how to prepare the dish ourselves. As the demo began, Chef Frerard and his sous chef came together to unwrap the raw tuna they had previously marinated with salt, pepper, spices, and sesame seeds.

The marinated tuna was then sliced into about half an inch to an inch thick pieces that were lightly pan seared in olive oil. Just enough to get the outer edges cooked for aroma and flavor while maintaining the raw and fresh quality of the fish. Once the tuna was seared to perfection, we topped off each piece with a delicate and garden-fresh assortment of diced carrots, celery, shallots, red pepper, ginger, and lime zest, which flavored together perfectly and gave each bite a slight crunch and citrus tang. Being that tuna is my absolute favorite fish, it was a delicious start before the cocktail dinner where we would enjoy several other delectable dishes made by Chef Frerard to give us an idea of what kind of cooking and flavors someone could expect from his restaurant and across the south of France.

The Cocktail Dinner

Once the trade show was complete for the tourism boards and travel companies, everyone was taken outside to the back patio of the Shore Club for a tasting menu prepared by Chef Frerard and his team. Servers first came out with Fried Cauliflower and Chickpea that looked and reminded me of Polenta fries except these were completely vegan and so incredibly tasty (even tastier than Polenta in my opinion). Definitely a good appetizer idea for our vegan foodies as well. As the servers continued passing hoeur d’oeuvres, we tasted a collection of more and more mouthwatering bites like Sea Bass on a bed of roasted veggies of eggplant and red peppers, Chickpea hummus with Goat cheese and Pesto, and a white fish Ceviche paired with an eggplant puree that was to die for.

Ceviche & Eggplant
Sea Bass
Pea, Mint, & Basil Sopa
Hummus with Goat Cheese & Pesto

In the end, we were given a cold Sopa made with Pea, Basil, and Mint, which was the perfect end to our cocktail dinner. Everything was so light but fulfilling to every taste bud. Being a seafood lover, I was in heaven and thrilled to be eating from the kitchen of such an awarded international chef. I knew the French had their cuisine down, but Provence and the Region Sud Tourism Board did an amazing job bringing this taste of France and all their breathtaking accommodations to Miami Beach. If this didn’t make everyone want to book a trip to the south of France, like tomorrow, I don’t know what would.

Ready for France?

It’s 2019 and I know most of us are always ready for change and new adventures, right? After immersing myself in the French cuisine and everything they had to offer for future travel through Provence & Côte d’Azur tourism boards, I was ready to plan my next trip to France in a heartbeat.

If you feel the same way, here are the top tourist offices where you can find all the best accommodations when making your way to the south of France in your near future: