No matter what you think of the wine itself, the arrival of a new vintage of Beaujolais Nouveau makes for a great party.
The 13th annual French-American Chamber of Commerce gala, at the Fairmont Olympic, featured a $125 sit-down dinner (lobster bisque, Kobe beef tenderloin), a fund-raising auction, a spirited combo (accordionist & fiddler), gents in spiffy tuxedos, gals in gorgeous gowns, the Lieutenant Governor, and, of course, the honorary French consul.
More pictures online from TeamPhotogenic.
A mile away in Belltown, at Le P'tit Bistro, the prix-fixe dinner was $29 (assiette de charcuterie, boeuf bourguignon), Jean-Michel Omnes played French songs on his accordion, and francophiles from the neighborhood happily quaffed copious amounts of Beaujolais Nouveau without paying all that much attention to its quality. The best of times, n'est-ce pas?
