By Tim McGovern

It may happen to you.

You find a pair of Pop Tarts on your plate for breakfast with the kids.

For lunch, you select a value meal. The three-course combo is ordered by number.

Dinner? Whatever’s quick and easy in the fridge to nuke or something from the freezer to pop in the oven.

Snacks aren’t much better. You know the difference between Dora the Explorer and Scooby Doo fruit snacks.

But there is a way to wean yourself from such cuisine and restore your faith in food.

A meal at Chez Daniel, located in the Embassy Suites in Bloomington, resurrects the joie de vive in dining.

With the kids happily eating hot dogs at home with Grandma and Grandpa, my wife and I headed for an elegant meal at Chez Daniel on our wedding anniversary.

The restaurant’s motto is “Just East of France,” meaning France Ave., but it was a world away from the drive-through lanes.

My knowledge of French cuisine begins with the phrase Bon apetit, and ends with whatever I gleaned from multiple viewings of the 2007 Pixar animated film “Ratatouille” with the kids.

Chez Daniel, and its helpful and enthusiastic staff, had us covered.
Our server helped us decide on a wine to complement our meal.

At the merlot’s first pour, a baguette arrived at the table, crusty and warm. We had time to pore over the menu, weigh the options and best of all, enjoy a quiet conversation.

I selected the Filet de Loup de Mer. It was under the heading ‘les poisson’, but that is merely the French work for ‘seafood.’
The menu at Chez Daniel is helpfully bilingual. The description of the dish was (thankfully for me) in English: Sea bass served with vegetable risotto and oyster lime pecan butter.

My wife is not rah-rah about red meat, but she selected the rack of lamb – as suggested by our server as Chez Daniel’s specialty.

That is was. The succulent, herb infused roasted New Zealand meat was served alongside a helping of ratatouille, (a mixed vegetable dish).

With exposed brick and hanging plants, the Chez Daniel dining room is elegant, to be sure.

But if you need to be near a TV while you dine, take a left turn to the Corks Pub II lounge.

The list of items on the lounge menu includes burgers, yes, and fries. Appetizers have fan favorites such as buffalo wings, quesadillas and mozzarella sticks.

But there are other items that are way off the sports-bar beaten path. The lobster club sandwich, the grilled salmon and caprese salad, the pastalaya with chicken and smoked sausage. How about crab cakes or coconut shrimp for an appetizer? The list goes on.

The lounge features nightly specials, and the bar is stocked with beers from around the world, as well as single-malt scotches, margaritas and a stupendous selection of wines.

An evening at Chez Daniel stays with you, reshaping your thought of what food is and what food can be, when prepared thoughtfully.
It’s not just a night out. It’s a night away, without leaving home.
Très Magnifique!

CHEZ DANIEL
Location: 2800 American Boulevard West, Bloomington
Lunch: Monday – Saturday, 11:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.; Sunday (brunch only), 10:30 a.m. - 2: p.m.
Dinner: Monday – Saturday, 5 – 10 p.m.; Sunday, 5:30 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Info: www. chezdaniel.com. Reservations, 952-888-4447, or visit www. opentable.com