Jacques’ Brasserie
Since taking a group on an incredible wine tour of Alsace, Chef Jacques Haeringer had been reminiscing about the food of his father’s native Alsace. On the tour, the group visited many of the great wineries and restaurants of the region, including the superb Weinbach Vineyards. Most of the restaurants in Alsace have a more formal gastronomique dining room as well as a casual, bistro-style dining room known in the region as a weinstube. At the weinstube, diners can enjoy traditional, hearty Alsatian dishes accompanied by local wine. The traditional weinstube provides food in a warm and relaxing atmosphere. These friendly establishments are immensely popular with Alsatians.
When my father François Haeringer first opened L’Auberge Chez François in 1954, the menu was very much in the weinstube style. The meals Chef Jacques ate on his first visit to Alsace got him thinking about those early menus, and the traditional Alsatian foods Papa François used to serve at the restaurant and at home. As a special tribute to his father and rich Alsatian culinary heritage, Chef Jacques opened Jacques’ Brasserie at L’Auberge in November 2011, serving some of his favorite dishes, the ones he grew up with. Many of these recipes came from a notebook of handwritten recipes his father brought with him when he moved from France to the United States.
Bar Rouge at Jacques’ Brasserie
Jacques’ Brasserie transformed the garden level space at L’Auberge into a traditional Alsatian-style brasserie. The dining patio and dining room, with windows overlooking the lawn and garden are furnished with hand-painted ceramic-topped tables. Papa François had these tables built more than fifty years ago. They chose to use them in the Brasserie because they are a part of the heritage, a part of Papa François’ collections. The copper on the walls also came from François’ collections. Behind the banquette are upholstered walls of fabric from bolts Chef Jacques found at his father’s home, and sconces from the National Cathedral. Bar Rouge, the bar lounge just off the Brasserie, was named for its dazzling scarlet counter top, providing space for a cocktail and casual gathering.
Join Chef Jacques on Wednesday through Sunday for relaxing and casual bistro-style dining at Jacques’ Brasserie to celebrate the rich cultural heritage of Alsace.
Jacques’ Brasserie is open for lunch, Wednesday through Saturday from 11:30am – 1:30 pm and Sunday open all day from 11:30 am – 8:00 pm.
Dinner at Jacques’ Brasserie: Wednesday through Friday 4:30pm – 9:00pm, Saturday 4:30pm – 9:30pm, Sunday 11:30am – 8:00pm
Reservations for Jacques’ Brasserie can be made online or by calling 703-759-3800.
