Follow CIC Grad Chris Holm's poste de stagiaire in France

Thanks to the connections of CIC Chefs Council member Executive Chef Frank Lee of Slightly North of Broad, CIC grad Chris Holm is doing a stage in several restaurants in France. We're following Chris via email.

Le Bougainvillier	Chris and Chef Gerard Charbonnier	Food at Le Bougainvillier
1/17/2012 I am currently in Saint Galmier, France, although as of tomorrow I am traveling to Albertville where they hosted the 1992 winter Olympics. The restaraunt I have been staging at for the last two weeks is Le Bougainvillier with Chef Gerard Charbonnier. It is a classical French restaraunt with some amazing food and a lot of foie gras! Saint Galmier is small town southeast of Lyon. It's a small kitchen and the staff even smaller, so I got a lot of hands-on experience. My next destination is Restaraunt Million with Chef Jose de Anacleto.

Hotel and Restaurant Million	Chris and Chef Jose Anacleto
Seared sea bass	Oysters & Caviar

1/30/2012 Just wanted to take a second to give you an update. My time in Albertville at Hotel Million is over and it was a great experience. Chef Jose taught me a lot and I learned even more. The food is outstanding, fresh, local, and simple but perfectly executed. I have been able to try a lot of new things on my journey - some familiar things but all delicious. Foie Gras by the tons and all of it is great. I have to say that this has been an eye-opening experience and I will cherish it for the rest of my career and life. I am now in Lyon where I will spend one day and have a reservation for a upscale restaurant called Le Mere Brazier with Chef Mathieu Vinnay. Then I fly home on Tuesday. Chris.