One of the prettiest pavilions at Epcot is France. I am looking forward to the newest area opening soon, along with Remi’s new ride. My birthday lunch at Chefs de France was perfect for anyone on a paleo or keto diet. Of course, that also made it gluten-friendly.
Chefs de France is my daughter’s favorite restaurant. Because we are trying to avoid gluten as much as possible, I was glad that they did not have their macaroni and cheese on the menu. That is her favorite dish.
Since it was my birthday, I communicated with them over Instagram ahead of time, letting them know what we would want to order to make sure they could make the items to meet our dietary needs. I know some people lately have had issues with the restaurant regarding allergies and special diets. That makes me very sad, and I will be stopping in to address it on my next visit.
Refreshing Beverages at Chefs de France
I had an incredible team catering to us at lunch, including our server Olivier, Chef Jean-Stephane, and Philippe, the wonderful manager! Philippe turned me on to my new favorite drink – the French Martini – a mix of Chambord, Grey Goose, Raspberry, and Pineapple flavors.
Yes, I drank two of them; they were so refreshing. If you get a chance to stop in for lunch or dinner, make sure to give it a try. I hope I can get one to go on my next visit – LOL. Don’t worry, my daughter had some wine – I didn’t leave her out.
Our Gluten-Free, Paleo, and Keto Appetizers
Since we were also reviewing the food booths that day, my daughter and I decided that we would try a variety of appetizers and share one Prix Fixe Meal at Chefs de France.
Our first appetizer was Cassolette d’escargots de Bourgogne au beurre persillé. We love escargot baked in garlic butter and parsley, and they did not disappoint.
EnerG Bread is available for those who are gluten-free.
The second appetizer was Soupe à l’oignon gratinée – French Onion Soup. I have made this recipe at home, and it is delicious. We were not as crazy about having the gluten-free bread in it as it was in thick chunks. Perhaps a thin slice would have been better. It also needed a lot more cheese. Did I mention my daughter loves cheese?
Our final appetizer was the Salade de chèvre chaud. The mixed salad features baked goat cheese, walnuts, fresh grapes, tomatoes, and endives. As you can see by the photo, the presentation is beautiful. This salad is also huge – we were surprised at how big it was.
I will say this – it needed double the amount of goat cheese. Also, make sure to ask for extra dressing on the side. I do not remember what they said about breading, perhaps on the baked goat cheese, but you can get it without the breading for a keto meal. Omit the goat cheese, and it becomes paleo-friendly.
Chefs de France Entrée and Dessert
For our entrée, we got the Filet de boeuf grillé, sauce au poivre vert pommes purée et haricots verts. The dish is typically a grilled tenderloin of beef, green peppercorn sauce, mashed potatoes, and green beans. Since potatoes are not on paleo or keto diets, we omitted them. Typically, they contain butter and cream.
Instead, we had steamed carrots and green beans, and no peppercorn sauce. The steak was ordered medium rare and cooked to perfection. I wish that the chefs would be more adventurous with herbs for special diets when sauces are not doable.
I did appreciate the dish of chives, which I used on all the food.
The Prix Fixe Meal includes one appetizer, entrée, and dessert, along with a glass of wine (Chardonnay or Cabernet Sauvignon) and a soft drink, tea, or coffee. My daughter chose the Chardonnay while I enjoyed those martinis.
For dessert, we selected the gluten-friendly vanilla Crème Brûlée. It was good, but we have had better at other Disney restaurants.
Since it was my birthday, I was serenaded by the staff and presented with one of my favorite gluten-friendly Epcot desserts – the Macaron with Raspberry and Lime Cream that I usually purchase at their bakery – Les Halles Boulangerie-Patisserie.
Because they also happen to know how much I miss the chocolate macaron pop they had at one of the festivals two years ago, they surprised me with two little chocolate macarons for dessert. Got to admit it – this girl loves her chocolate.
I do love Chefs de France, and I hope they can find a way to be more allergy-friendly to all in the future. It bothers me to hear that others did not have the excellent experience I had. I will update this blog after my discussion with them.