Chapitre Cinq
Navigating Dining Out à l’étranger; La nourriture : à la brasserie
Exercice 5.5
Navigating Dining Out à l'étranger
The world of food is amazing! Everywhere we go, there will be regional and cultural differences when it comes to food. There will even be vocabulary that doesn’t translate or have an English equivalent in some cases. It can be overwhelming to walk into a restaurant in a different country and not only navigate the interaction with getting a table and a menu, but then trying to process the menu itself—it can feel quite foreign, in fact.
The goal in this chapter is not to teach you all the vocabulary related to food, but rather to help you get comfortable with some of the common meals offered, navigating the menu, and recognizing some of the names of popular dishes you will find in France.
If you travel to various countries where French is spoken, you will find different dishes, different names, different ingredients, and different flavor profiles. Enjoy your adventure! The best advice is to ask a local and try daily specials that are offered.
Vocabulaire:
Exercice 5 .5
in a foreign country
appetizers/small plates
appetizer/small plate
the main course
2- or 3-course meal special of the day
menu
off the menu (not part of la formule)
the check
tip
methods of payment
to pay by card
to pay in cash
regional speciality
the main dish of the day
soup of the day
table
chair
napkin
tablecloth
plate
silverware
spoon
knife
fork
bottle
carafe
pitcher/jug
glass
server
client
Mr./Sir
Ma'am/Mrs.
to order
for me, please
I'm going to have
I will have
I would like
I would like
What is it?
What's in this dish?
What temperature/How would you like it prepared?
blue
bloody/very rare meat
medium/medium-rare
well done (cooked all the way through)
Where are the restrooms?
upstairs/on the second floor
on the ground floor/below
in the basement
in the back to the left
in the back to the right
food
at the pub-style restaurant
appetizers/small plates
snails
French onion soup
frog legs
fatty duck liver
beet salad
a dish of cut melon and prosciutto
French fries
starters/appetizers
oysters
half-dozen
mussels in white wine sauce
spreadable chicken "dip" or paste
egg and bacon on toasted bread bites
avocado and shrimp salad
eggplant dip
deviled eggs
old-fashioned boar meatloaf
asparagus in hollandaise sauce
cream of zucchini soup
boards
a board of mixed cold cut meats
a cheese board
a cheese and meat board
a veggie board
main dishes
risotto
Parisian raw beef hash with raw egg; steak tartare
duck, generally a leg of duck, sometimes preserved in fat and rewarmed
rabbit with prunes
roasted, stuffed quail
prawn skewers
noodles in a tomato and meat sauce
lentil and spinach stew
to share
chicken stew in a rich wine sauce
meat and bean stew
melted cheese for dipping
sandwiches
toasted ham and cheese sandwich in a béchamel sauce
toasted ham and cheese sandwich in a béchamel sauce with a fried egg
from the grill
steak and fries
butcher's choice hamburger
a steak with pepper sauce
ribeye steak with fries
rounds of beef with seared fatty duck liver and slices of black truffle topped with Madeira wine sauce
BBQ chicken
rack of lamb ribs
