10 great places to master the art of French eating

ByABC News
August 10, 2009, 1:33 PM

— -- Julie & Julia, the film based on TV chef Julia Child, hits theaters today. For foodies craving crêpes and quiches from someone else's kitchen, Saveur editor in chief and Top ChefMasters judge James Oseland dishes with USA TODAY on the best French restaurants to hear "bon appétit."

BouchonYountville, Calif. "Chef Thomas Keller's brasserie is bustling, friendly and just a few miles from his famous, groundbreaking restaurant, the French Laundry," Oseland says. "No one in the U.S. does a better job with French bistro fare duck confit, steak frites, bacon and onion quiches, croque-madame and towering plates of chilled, raw shellfish. We could linger here for hours." 707-944-8037, bouchonbistro.com

Fleur de LysSan Francisco "Chef Hubert Keller (a competitor on Top Chef Masters) is the talent behind the popular Burger Bar in Las Vegas, but Fleur de Lys remains the most dazzling showcase for his assets as a cook," Oseland says. "In addition to inspired takes on French classics his choucroute (sauerkraut), the signature dish of Keller's native Alsace, is incomparably good we also enjoy his more whimsical creations, like tuna tartare topped with a gelée of oxtail consommé." 415-673-7779, fleurdelyssf.com

DanielNew York For the ultimate see-and-be-seen dining experience, head to Daniel. "Daniel Boulud's flagship restaurant, Daniel, is the epitome of modern haute French cuisine," Oseland says. "The chef's dishes reflect an approach that is inventive but firmly grounded in old-world tradition the slow-baked striped bass, for example, comes with artichoke barigoule as well as lemon arancini." 212-288-0033, danielnyc.com

EverestChicago "On the 40th floor of the Chicago Stock Exchange tower, in a room rimmed with windows overlooking the Loop, Alsatian-born chef Jean Joho has earned kudos by serving refined and updated versions of old-country fare and French classics," Oseland says. Think cream of watercress soup with quenelles and frog legs. "The wine list is one of the most extensive and diverse collections of Alsatian wines in America; Joho exports a good number of bottles himself." 312-663-8920, everestrestaurant.com