Your Guide To Living Like A French Girl In Tulsa/ Eat-Sip Edition
Bonjour mon petit pois!
I swear my sophisticated aesthetic was influenced by my former life in France. And because of that, I’ve been a Francophile my entire life. Just like that Hemingway quote predicts—the City of Light stays with you. It really does.
I am so incredibly happy and lucky to be spending an extended period of time in France this winter for my 40th birthday. Of course Rodge would want me celebrating such an epic birthday indulging in escargot aux fruits rouges et fromage blanc at Du Pain et des Idées after strolling around Musée Bourdelle for hours with my 60’s French pop records in tow that I purchased that morning from La Violetera. Gah-this is what I see in my head! See-I have already done all my research because I am an endlessly curious researcher (for better or for worse). Ask my friends and family and they will tell you I am always consuming the latest book or article or movie or Instagram account about Paris—marking places on the map to check out! I am in love with French culture. And I know I am not alone here. Girls in The Midwest LOVE Paris... Just as much as they love The Midwest. Lucky for us Francophiles, there are tons of restaurants, patisseries, shops, and lounges that really transport us to the City of Lights. If you want to get to Paris without leaving Tulsa, hit these spots! Of course there are more places and things that some of you will call me out on for not mentioning but this is my blog after all and I am sharing MY favorite “Frenchie’ spots!! I have made personal connections with most of these places and it’s important to me to highlight them in my guide because they personally mean something to me! If I mentioned every French inspired place just because..well that would not feel very authentic. tu n'es pas d'accord??
These locations that I picked make me very happy and would be fun to share with a friend. So Prendre plaisir! J'espère que tu les aimes autant que moi!
EAT/ Sip Edition
If you’re like me, the first things you think about when it comes to food in Paris are all the bakeries and pastry shops. One of my absolute favorites is Saint Amon Baking Co. You can’t go wrong with anything they make, but my favorite are the double chocolate croissants. ( Pain Chocolat) All the croissants and macarons are to die for really! I have written about Saint Amon before and you can read all about Jean Baptiste and his wife here. They are both pastry chefs!! They have recently started offering some community baking classes too so keep your eyes peeled for those on their facebook page!
No plans to visit Versailles anytime soon?! Pas de problème!! Just head to Le Louvre French Cafe in South Tulsa. Take my word for it: this place is authentic and will blow your mind! Yakham and his wife moved from Paris to Tulsa in 2017 to rejoin their son and his growing family. You can experience Parisian atmosphere while feasting on crepes, croissants, and many other french delicacies. My fave is the La Paysanne Crêpe Salée. And the La Nutella Crêpe Salée. It’s topped with Chantilly (Home made whipped cream) and I want to marry it! They also make a very tasty Quiche Lorraine and Soupe aux Oignons. Lin is a sucker for the Croissant aux Amandes! I also enjoy afternoon dates here sipping Thé Menthe. (home brewed loose leaf tea with fresh mint) They are always so gracious and are very patient with my French. The language is still very difficult for me and they will speak slowly so I can understand)
Love a delish Croque Madame as much as me?! Or an OMELET DU JOUR with seasonal ingredients? Or how about yogurt and berries? If you answered Oui Oui to any of these questions, then head over to Levain Kitchen + Bakery located at the shops of Seville. It’s my fave place to have weekday brunch. It’s just a simple lovely neighborhood place with a darling patio area too. In the evenings you can also enjoy a Frenchie inspired cocktail called APRIL IN PARIS which has Prairie Wolf vodka, yellow Chartreuse, St. Germain, orgeat, strawberry, and lime. Levain also has several french wines like the Chateau du Hureau “Argile” Chenin Blanc, Bulliat Gamay (Beaujolais), Domaine de L’Arnesque Cotes du Rhone, Moulin de Gassac Pinot Noir ’18, L de Laffitte Laujac Bordeaux Rouge, and the Domaine Mandard Touraine Brut! Levain to many means sourdough, but for them it means much more.
Craving something new and fabulous?! Chamber is a charming global restaurant that recently opened in the every so swanky Tulsa Club Hotel! It definitely made us feel like we were in a cafe in FRANCE! It's dreamy rich blue and brown interiors draw you in immediately! It's highly unlikely you'll be able to resist, so don't even try to say no. Settling in, Jenna and I were given the menu and poured over the contents - a delicious selection of sweet and savory, we were torn between everything and spoilt for choice. We shared the French Toast and The Chilequiles with crème fraîche! Look forward to trying dinner soon—they have lots of French wines!
Would I recommend you pay them a visit?
Mais oui, bien sûr!
Inside the Tulsa Club Hotel you can also visit Commerce - Crafted Concoctions! Commerce, pays homage to the gorgeous landmark building and its historical roots, where there was an interchange of commodities, views, attitudes and social relations. Start the day here with some coffee and continue with your favorite spirits, wines and brews; all paired with small plates when they open at 4p.m! They have a French 75 on the menu too! It’s seriously so swanky and is the ideal spot for two girls in need of a glamorous catch up! The Commerce Lounge is a fun place too and so worthy of a photograph! (special thanks to Jenna for taking these photos and joining me for brunch)
Are you looking for a chocolate experience?!! Or maybe not even sure you need a chocolate experience?! I am always so impressed with the wonderful couple who own Nouveau in The Rose District in Broken Arrow. Each one completely dreamy, creamy, smooth and chocolatey. Handmade chocolate at its finest. You will not find these handcrafted Belgian chocolates anywhere else! They do custom orders too and I might just need 40 of these milk chocolate Eiffel Towers for my birthday!!!! They have amazing teas as well! And ice cream + hot chocolate. It’s such a charming space and feels like you have left Tulsa.
Ohhh mon coeur !! Cet endroit!!
Another weekend, another brunch destination?!!! If you're not already on the brunch bandwagon then you really need to get all over this hype. The perfect occasion to have a catch up, a date or just a good way to get over the hangover. Any reason will do really, you don't even need a justifiable one. Insert The Chalkboard. Located at the bottom of the Ambassador Hotel, the Chalkboard has long been a Tulsa staple and it’s the one place I recommend time and time again! If my friends are visiting from out of town, this is where we brunch! Plus we can ride our bikes from The Sophian. I love eating in hotels too! Highly recommend the French Toast and The Hash Fromage! Wish these pics were better too because they do not do that hash fromage justice! White marble tabletops soon and more natural light Chalkboard..K?!
Need more relaxation in your life?! Yeah, me too. I adore visiting H2Oasis! They have a tea and oxygen bar and here is where you can find their delicious chocolate elixirs. Us Francophiles always order the 1775 Marie Antoinette. (70% dark chocolate, orange blossom water, organic evaporated cane juice, ceylon cinnamon, vanilla, and culinary orange blossom essential oil.
On a hunt for happy hour?! And especially one with views that have you ooh'ing and aah'ing?!! Hotel Indigo..so impressed with this destination bar and there's absolutely no question as to why it's a destination when you see such pretty views of T-Town. Would love to come here late at night and do some stargazing and guide myself through some mysteries of the sky with the astrology app!
May I suggest a cheese and meat plate along with some French wine at Roof Sixty-Six Bar?! Totally had a french lesson here with my wonderful tutor. I look forward to spending more time here!
Want to pick up a fresh flower bouquet while indulging on POMMES FRITES tossed in truffle oil and parsley served with a side of roasted garlic ketchup?! Of course you do!!!! Foolish Things Bar + Biscuit is just the most adorable place. They have an OG FRENCH 75 too which is cognac, lemon, and bubbles! And a LANGLOIS BRUT ROSÉ ! I love morning coffee here too! It’s just too pretty. They hosted this years Bastille Day Celebration too and hope that will become a yearly tradition.
http://barandbiscuit.com/
And last but not least…love jazz and those French Creole vibes?!! Don’t miss out on any opportunity to dine at Duet. Book ahead and get yourself a reservation on the spectacular outdoor patio and I guarantee it’ll be one of your favorite places to brunch on the weekends. Service is excellent, the food is delicious and everything is made even better with their music! If you’re celebrating a special occasion, then here’s the place to do it. I especially love that you can brunch on Saturday mornings too. So many places only offer a Sunday brunch!
You just have to check out the lunch and dinner menu for yourself here. They have a JOSEPH DROUHIN BEAUJOLAIS NOUVEAU on the wine list and two options for French bubbles…LE GRAND CORTAGE BRUT and The BILLECART SALMON BRUT RESERVE! I have a Q + A feature with Chef Nico coming to the blog soon so I do not want to say too much here! It’s such a gem! Any Francophile would be very content here.
Bon appetit My DEARS!
The second edition of my Francophile Guide will be live soon and it will include all the places to stay and play !! Thank you so much to all the restaurants, bakeries, and bars featured in this post for hosting me complimentary so I could take photos as this post is not sponsored. It really helps my small brand too!
I must also mention The Coffee Blues who have closed now but I miss them terribly! And so appreciate them wanting to be included in my guide!! They made the most delish lavender lemonade and avocado and strawberry and honey brioche toast!!!!!!
