Stella Lucente French

01/17/2026

Le Bon Georges is a classic French bistro, adored by locals and tourists alike. Located in the buzzy 9th arrondissement, by the historic Place Saint-Georges, the restaurant is the quintessential Parisian bistro.

Someone who knows a great deal about what makes this restaurant shine is Thibaut Nicolas, Le Bon George’s Restaurant Director. It was a pleasure to talk to him about all things Le Bon Georges, past and present.

👉 Read the full article: https://hipparis.com/le-bon-georges-a-classic-french-bistro/

01/17/2026

Earlier this summer, while traveling and visiting some French friends, I was intrigued by the allure of their, very French, kitchen.

Being a fortunate daily witness of the ease and customs of my friends dans la cuisine lead me to wonder, what is missing in my American kitchen? I set forth to discover some of what helps create such joie de vivre and allure in the French kitchen.

👉Continue reading: https://hipparis.com/the-allure-of-the-french-kitchen/

01/06/2026

At the Alliance Française, like en France, the holidays don't end with the new year! Celebrate à la française with a Fête des Rois goûter this coming Sunday!

The Feast of Kings is a traditional French celebration in January that features la galette des rois, a cake baked with a fève (toy) inside.

This event is FREE and open to the public. Children and families welcome. Bring a galette, drink, or snack to share.

Sunday, January 11, 2026, 3 - 5 PM
at the Alliance Française de Milwaukee
1800 E Capitol Drive

RSVP at https://www.afmilwaukee.org/community/event-rsvp/?event_id=110

01/06/2026

01/04/2026

Catherine Dior is often mentioned in history books as “the sister of Christian Dior,” but that short label hides an extraordinary life of courage, pain, and resilience.

During World War II, while Paris was occupied by N**i Germany, Catherine Dior joined the French Resistance. She was still very young. Like many resistants, she helped transmit messages and supported underground networks that worked against the occupation. This was extremely dangerous. Being caught often meant prison, torture, or death.

In 1944, Catherine was arrested by the Gestapo. She was interrogated and tortured but refused to give names or information. She was then deported to the Ravensbrück concentration camp, one of the camps reserved mainly for women. Life there was brutal. Prisoners faced hunger, cold, forced labor, and constant fear. Many did not survive. Catherine did.

When the war ended, she returned to France deeply marked by what she had lived through. Unlike many people who tried to forget, she chose a quiet life connected to nature. She became a flower grower in Provence, raising roses and jasmine. This choice was not accidental. After years of violence and destruction, working with living things was a way to heal.

Her brother, Christian Dior, never forgot what she had endured. In 1947, when he launched his first perfume, he named it “Miss Dior” in her honor. The name was a tribute, but the meaning went deeper. The scent was meant to represent strength, elegance, and freedom after the war. Catherine was its real inspiration.

For a long time, Catherine Dior avoided public attention. She did not see herself as a hero. Like many former résistants, she believed she had simply done what was necessary. It is only many years later that her story began to be more widely shared, helping people understand that the Resistance was not only made of famous leaders, but also of ordinary individuals who took extraordinary risks.

Today, Catherine Dior represents a different side of Parisian history. Not the glamorous city of fashion and cafés, but a city that resisted, suffered, and survived.

01/04/2026

Le Train Bleu is not just a restaurant. It’s a reminder of a time when train travel was an event.

The restaurant opened in 1901, inside Gare de Lyon, for the Universal Exhibition in Paris. Back then, trains were the main way to travel long distances, and first-class passengers expected comfort, beauty, and ceremony before their journey. Le Train Bleu was designed to impress them before they even boarded.

The room was created like a palace. More than 40 painters and decorators worked on the ceiling and walls. Each painting shows landscapes and cities from the south and east of France — the places people were about to reach by train. Dining here was part of the trip, not just a meal before it.

The name “Le Train Bleu” came later, inspired by the famous luxury night train that connected Paris to the French Riviera. The restaurant adopted the name in the 1960s, but its spirit stayed the same: elegant, slow, and formal.

Over the years, writers, politicians, artists, and movie stars have eaten here. Not because it was trendy, but because it represented a certain idea of France — travel with time, with style, and with respect for ritual.

Today, trains are faster and travel is rushed. Le Train Bleu stayed behind on purpose. It still serves classic French dishes, still follows traditional service, and still asks guests to slow down.

Eating here isn’t about catching a train. It’s about stepping into a moment when travel meant anticipation, not speed — and when a station restaurant could feel like a grand dining room.