Annette and I enjoyed an outstanding Grower Champagne dinner at LCD - La Côte d'Or Café in Arlington, a quaint French restaurant specializing in traditional and nouvelle French cuisine, with the food of Chef Jacques Imperato and the wines of Ed Addiss, owner of Traditions Wine and Spirits, specializing in independent, family-owned wineries in France.
A most enjoyable evening. French soul food at its best combined with most interesting, high-end Grower Champages from France.
The dinner was arranged by Doug House of Chain Bridge Cellars, a leading wine store in Northern Virginia.
Thanks Doug, Jacques and Ed.
Invitation
| Event Dates: 10/08/2026 6:30pm - 9:00pm |
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| Event Cost: $193.92 |
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| Event Location: La Cote d'Or Cafe, 6876 Langston Blvd, Arlington, VA 22213 |
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| Description of Tasting: |
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Last year, importer Ed Addiss from Wine Traditions, Chef Jacques Imperato of La Cote d’Or and I had a silly idea: what if we could offer you a true Champagne dinner for less than $200 per person? It seemed a bit unlikely, but with creativity and some extra work, we did it. To rave reviews! So let’s do it again, this time on Wednesday and Thursday, October 7 and 8. Join us for a truly bubbly feast featuring five courses of Chef’s culinary creations and five of Ed’s handpicked Champagne wines. All for $180 per person including tax/tip (plus Eventbrite fee)). The wines are more than “just” Champagne. All are true passion projects by the men and women who grow the grapes, make the wines and blends, and then wait until they are full of fizz and character to let them loose on the world. Four are classic Champagnes, full of toasty complexity and fizz. And one is a wine rarely seen outside of Champagne itself: Ratafia de Champagne. Since the 1300s, Champagne producers have taken unfermented Champagne grape juice and topped it off with brandy made in the region. It’s a wildly complex mistelle to enjoy before and after dinner. Demand for fizzy Champagne pushed ratafia to the margins over the past 200 years until creation of a new AOC in 2015 rekindled interest. It’s delicious – and even better with chocolate cake! Here's the full menu from Chef and wine pairings from Ed: Socca, roasted red pepper coulis Roasted goat cheese, toasted brioche, pear, hazelnut crushed, Grilled trout, haricot vert, puffed pastry, beurre blanc Duck breast sauteed, cranberry wild rice, and white wine mushroom sauce Flourless chocolate, peach cooked in caramel, candied saffron orange peels In a world where it’s too easy to spend $180 for a meal of small plates that land willy-nilly during your meal and have to pay $15-$30 each for a glass or two of wine as well, this is simply stunning value. And like all our wine dinners with La Cote d’Or, it will be a whole lot of fun. LCD - La Côte D'Or Café |
LCD - La Côte D'Or Café is a highly-rated, charming neighborhood gem in Arlington, Virginia, known for its authentic, classic French cuisine. Tucked away near East Falls Church, it offers an intimate, cozy atmosphere with white tablecloths and a classic country vibe.
Under the direction of Chef Jacques Imperato, the kitchen turns out scratch-made traditional favorites. The Beef Bourguignon, Coq Au Vin, and Escargots (served Burgundy style or in puff pastry) are major highlights. For dessert, do not miss the Floating Island or their traditional tarts.
Chef Jacques Imperato
Jacques Imperato is a French Pied Noir. The Pieds Noirs are the people of French and other European descent who were born in Algeria during the period of French rule from 1830 to 1962. Almost all Pieds Noirs departed when Algeria gained independence.
Chef
Jacques Imperato was trained in Classical and French Nouvelle Cuisine.
As a Pied Noir, he also has an Italian and Spanish background.
As a kid, Jacques’ mother inspired him through her own cooking and sparked his passion for food.
After attending 2 years of culinary school in Nice, France, Jacques worked in several fine dining establishments in Nice, St Paul de Vence, and Eze Village. Before moving to the United States, Jacques worked with some of the most prestigious chefs known in the Côte d’Azur area today.
Jacques had his first experience as a restaurant owner with Chalet de la Paix at the age of 23, one year after moving to the United States. Jacques’ reputation grew when he opened and operated Mediterranee Restaurant - first in Cherrydale, Arlington, and then later in Great Falls.
After 16 years at Mediterranee Restaurant, Jacques shifted his focus to consulting before LCD - La Côte D'Or Café. As a consultant, Jacques helped to develop restaurants including Cassatt’s Kiwi Cafe in Arlington, and The Wine House in Fairfax.
Over the years, Jacques’ experiences as a chef, restaurant owner, and consultant have molded him and his cooking into what you’ll find and enjoy at LCD - La Côte D'Or Café today.
Second
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Fourth
Fifth
The Champagnes
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