-Well, it's all very regional, right?
I mean, what kind of foods do you cook here?
-Just a little bit. But can I have the white?
I would like to try the white. You see?
This is my British accent. Cin-cin.
We didn't even do a cin-cin. -Ahh!
-Psst!
-Where do French diplomats eat
to get a taste of France in Washington, D.
C. ?
Actually, they don't have to leave the office.
Just north of historic Georgetown,
hidden within the French embassy,
is a six-table restaurant serving embassy workers
and visiting diplomats.
And it's open to people like you and me,
if you know how to get in.
The embassy is technically French soil,
even though it's in the heart of Washington, D.
C.
But you can't use your passport to get in.
You'll need a French Embassy Frequent Diner membership card.
We'll show you how to get one.
This secret table is so secret,
we can't even show you the security inside,
so here's our graphic representation.
Now, let's go to France for lunch,
without leaving Washington D.
C. -Petit Bouchon!
-Oh, my God! -Bonsoir!
Nice to see you.
Oh! Thank you.
It's so beautiful!
-You recognize Mark? -I recognize Mark, of course.
My friend the chef.
-Two kiss. -Two kiss!
-Mwah! -Like the French.
Mwah! -Can we sit?
Can you sit in a meal?
-Yes. We're on French soil right now.
-Yeah. -Yeah.
I'm your guest. -Bienvenue.
Bienvenue. -Merci.
-On most days, the restaurant is only open for lunch.
You can also reserve it for a private dinner.
-We are here to make sure that French culture, tradition,
food, wine, region --
anything about France is represented somewhere in the U.
S.
-We all think of French wine as very regional, right?
But cuisine is also very regional in France.
What kind of cuisine do you make here?
-I come from Bordeaux, so it's more like southwest cuisine.
We use duck, of course.
Duck is very important, and foie gras.
Sometime, we can go north.
We don't have borders in here.
We don't work with borders.
It can be from anywhere.
We're low, but Mark -- he loves the word "revisited,"
meaning he will make it kind of, like, lighter
and a new version of it.
When I moved to this country, I discovered different flavor.
I want to keep the main roots of the dish,
but I want to just twist.
Growing up in a small town somewhere in France,
you know what we grew up with?
Family, friends, food.
And it's all about sharing.
-Yeah. -Our clientele --
they all love France.
They want to spend a little time in France
before going on vacation,
or they want to remember how it was over there.
-[speaking French] -Some of them,
they know even more than us, to be honest.
And it's challenging. That's why it's good.
They know about food. They know about wine.
They know about service.
They know about decor.
They know everything.
-You're challenged by your clientele, which is so great.
-Oh, yes. -Yes.
I love it.
-To be in that position, that people coming in
who will maybe correct you on some things.
-Of course. -Yeah.
-They correct me, I love it.
Then I check to see if it's true.
-You got -- -Sometimes, it's not true.
-Tonight, Petit Bouchon is hosting
a very special wine dinner,
pairing each of the seven courses with Chablis,
a chardonnay from the Burgundy region of France.
-We do at least twice a month a dinner like this.
The goal is to represent French culture.
It's to represent French tradition.
We are the ambassador of France.
If we don't represent it here,
where are we going to represent it?
Pow! Cocktail reception.
We start with a summary.
-As general manager, Max Jacquet oversees
every aspect of the dining experience,
from greeting and serving the guests on a sharp timetable
to lighting and technical means.
-Hello, hello, hello, hello, hello, hello,
hello, hello, hello, hello -- no.
So, the fifth course is cheese, is the one on top.
We just bring them down.
We make sure we have bread.
80 bolitas, no?
-Yes. -Tomalito?
-95. -Okay.
-The term "general manager" doesn't begin to cover --
Like, Max greets you, Max serves you.
-Even loves you. -Oh!
See?
-Oh, my God, it's amazing. -Yeah.
There's your American accent.
-Tonight, guys, is the final. No place for mistakes.
I am Ronaldo, by the way.
You choose your player.
Amazing, amazing.
We are like brothers. We are family.
We go to war together.
-I feel like food and wine
are the forgotten parts of diplomacy.
-When the chef is sick, it's a catastrophe for the ambassador.
-You're changing the world one appetite at a time.
-Oh, my. -Yeah.
-You're cooking for 38 people. That's a lot.
How do you feel? It's seven courses.
-I'm very afraid now. -Yeah.
-[speaking French] -The first wine
you have in the glass is a Chablis Sainte Claire.
-Six.
-In the society where we live in,
we are so focused on image,
and it should be more about sharing one moment.
Let's share, guys.
If you don't share it, we are going to lose it.
When we have someone at the table, we know
that it might be the first and last time we meet with them.
-Hmm. -What do you have inside?
What do you have in your soul?
What do you have in your heart?
What do you have in your mind?
Give it. Share it.
Go with the flow.
Go with the atmosphere.
Go with the music.
Go with the wine. Go with the food.
We have so many bad moments.
What about we make it just positive and we share?
-Pour a glass of water at home.
Let's all cheer together.
-Careful. Nice.
-So, you want to visit Petit Bouchon.
We don't blame you.
Visit lecafedescartes.
com, fill out the form, wait up to six weeks,
and, if you pass the embassy's security clearance,
you'll receive a card.
Then, you can make a reservation.
Enjoy your lunch in France.