JACQUES: But, look, I mean, this is impressive.

I mean, look at these.

SETH: Chef.

Hey.

JACQUES: Seth, how are you?

Great to see you.

SETH: Great to see you, as well.

JACQUES: Welcome to L'Auberge Chez Francois, and one of my favorite, uh, things to do here is the gardening.

SETH: Oh, it's beautiful.

JACQUES: We, we love it here.

Stephanie is the lead gardener, makes sure everything gets done and that everything's planted at the right time.

We get something almost year round.

You know, this is part of France, though the climate's a little different here.

SETH: I felt like I traveled somewhere very far away.

JACQUES: Yeah.

Right?

And we're today picking haricots verts, slender red green beans, which is an integral part of our signature dish, chateaubriand.

But it's just wonderful to come out here and pick something and take it right in the kitchen.

C'est magnifique.

SETH: Well, I can't, I can't wait to see what that adds to the chateaubriand.

Should we, uh, head back to the kitchen and I'll wa, watch you work your magic?

JACQUES: I wish you would.

Come on back.

Can't wait to show you the inside as well.

We've tried to create, we have I believe, an authentic Alsatian look and feel and cuisine.

We've been here a long time.

45 years.

So, it seems to be working.

Seth, welcome to L'Auberge Chez Francois kitchen.

I want to show you how to make a chateaubriand.

Probably our most favorite dish.

It's a romantic dish.

Something for two.

Let me make sure my knife is... SETH: Nice and sharp.

JACQUES: Absolutely ready to go here.

So, it's the center cut, so you can probably get two out of a nice size beef tenderloin.

The beef tenderloin is very little fat.

Uh, and what I like to do is, is cut it, put cracked peppercorns on the meat.

And we're gonna sear it first and then roast it in the oven.

Takes about 20 minutes or so, 20-22 minutes for a medium rare.

SETH: Well I do like medium rare for sure.

JACQUES: You shall have it.

You can always cook it more.

You can't cook it less.

That's the thing.

Freddy, here, we're gonna roast this.

Medium rare, please.

All right.

And here are the garnishes.

A chateaubriand comes with a bouquetiere, as we say in France, of vegetables.

Many from the garden.

So, what we try to do is prepare them separately, because each one has a different flavor profile and needs a little bit of different seasoning.

And, it is served with a bearnaise sauce.

I'm gonna taste the sauce.

I'm gonna add a little bit more tarragon.

And voila, ready to go.

Freddy, can I have the medium rare chateaubriand, please?

FREDDY: Yes, sir.

It's ready.

JACQUES: Ready to go.

SETH: Oh.

You can see it has a nice crust on it.

So, you're going to slice this?

JACQUES: I'm going to slice it, but I've got to wait at least 10, 12 minutes to slice it.

So, we'll let it rest.

We're gonna usually make six nice slices out of this, against the grain.

Then I'm gonna put it on the platter.

And then add all the garnishes around it.

And that will go under the broiler or in the hot oven for three or four minutes, just to warm everything back up.

And then we'll send it out and enjoy it with our bearnaise sauce.

Seth.

Here we are.

We have Tom.

He's gonna bring out the chateau and serve it... We always serve it table-side.

SETH: Wow.

It really is all about presentation, Chef.

Isn't it?

JACQUES: It is.

And all the fresh vegetables from the garden.

Thanks for helping me pick them.

I know you worked up an appetite.

But, while Tom is dishing out the chateau, we ought to have a glass of bubbly.

SETH: Of course.

JACQUES: French tradition.

(pop) SETH: Oh.

JACQUES: Oh!

That sound.

Oh.

The best.

The best in the west.

My, in the old days they'd even carve it out here.

That's when the maitre d's were running the restaurants.

Then, when the chef's took over, it sort of changed the dynamics.

Where, we didn't want the maitre d's and the waiters messing with our food too very much.

The final step is to put the bearnaise sauce on the plate.

The tarragon right from the garden.

And before we start, cheers Seth.

SETH: Yes.

JACQUES: Great to have you.

SETH: Cheers, chef.

JACQUES: Bon appetite.

SETH: Bon appetite.

Thank you.

Mmm.

Delicious.

JACQUES: Please enjoy.

SETH: Mmm.

Chef, that is so good.

JACQUES: I'm glad you're enjoying it.

SETH: That nice peppery crust on the outside.

And, you know, for such a lean cut of meat, it's retained so much of its juiciness.

JACQUES: Long as you cook it right, long as you let it rest a bit and cook it right.

Plus, it's great quality meat.

You know, top of the line.

SETH: All right.

I'm gonna take a bite of these green beans, as well.

JACQUES: They're fresh.

Right out of the garden.

SETH: Mmm.

JACQUES: A little crispness.

Nothing beats going right out to the garden and picking it and serving it that day.

That's the epitome.

SETH: So, you guys have been open now for almost 70 years.

What's the secret?

JACQUES: This is what we do here.

We, we emphasize the classics.

SETH: You know what you're gonna get when you come out to L'Auberge.

JACQUES: We tr... Well, Papa's motto was, uh, a nice ambience, a good service and a good food at a reasonable price.

Food brings everyone together.

And, I hate to call it nostalgia.

It's a, just an experience that they thoroughly enjoy and want to celebrate again.

Let's put it that way.

SETH: Well, it was absolutely delicious.

Thank you for showing me the garden space.

JACQUES: My pleasure.

SETH: And everything else.

And, I look forward to coming back.

JACQUES: We appreciate having you.

SETH: Cheers.

JACQUES: Cheer, "a votre sante".

That means, to your health.

SETH: I'll drink to that.