GREAT FALLS, VA — For 50 consecutive years, L'Auberge Chez François has made sure that firefighters working on Thanksgiving Day at the Great Falls Volunteer Fire & Rescue Department have a holiday meal to share.
The Great Falls restaurant will continue that tradition Thursday, Nov. 26, when Executive Chef Jacques Haeringer and his team deliver a Whiffletree Farm turkey dinner with all the trimmings for eight on-duty firefighters and rescue personnel.
To commemorate the milestone, the restaurant will hold a special presentation at the firehouse at 10 a.m. on Thanksgiving morning. Firefighters will participate in the event, with the department's hook-and-ladder truck and rescue squad vehicle on site.
The annual Thanksgiving dinner tradition began with the restaurant's founder, François Haeringer, who had a personal connection to the Great Falls firehouse. His son, Jacques Haeringer, has continued the practice since taking over the restaurant's culinary operations.
"For our family, Thanksgiving has always meant taking care of the people who take care of us. My father started this tradition because the firehouse was part of his neighborhood, and it is an honor to continue it 50 years later," Jacques Haeringer said in a news release.
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"Serving our firefighters has been part of who we are since the day we opened our doors in Great Falls," he added.
The anniversary also coincides with the restaurant's 50th year in Great Falls.
François Haeringer originally opened Chez François in Washington, D.C., in 1954, one block from the White House. In 1976, he relocated the restaurant to Great Falls, where it became L'Auberge Chez François.
The restaurant continues to specialize in French cuisine influenced by the Haeringer family's roots in Alsace, France.
In addition to providing dinner for local firefighters, L'Auberge Chez François is accepting reservations for Thanksgiving dining on Nov. 26.
The restaurant will offer several dining options, including a seven-course holiday meal, an à la carte menu and a take-home Thanksgiving dinner.
L'Auberge Chez François: The restaurant's traditional Thanksgiving celebration will feature a seven-course prix fixe menu priced from $150 to $162 per person. The meal includes organic turkey from Whiffletree Farm and traditional holiday side dishes.
Seatings are scheduled for 11:30 a.m., 3 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. A children's menu for guests younger than 12 costs $95. An à la carte menu will also be available. A credit card is required for reservations.
The restaurant will also unveil its holiday decorations on Thanksgiving Day.
Jacques' Brasserie: The restaurant's second dining room will offer an à la carte Thanksgiving menu, including roasted turkey, veal dishes, Parmesan-crusted cauliflower steak and other French specialties.
Seatings are available at 11:30 a.m., 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Thanksgiving Chez Vous: For customers who prefer to celebrate at home, the restaurant is offering a prepared Thanksgiving meal serving eight people.
The take-home meal includes traditional holiday side dishes based on recipes from François Haeringer's handwritten recipe book from Alsace.
Reservations and additional information about Thanksgiving dining and take-home meals are available at L'Auberge Chez François or by calling 703-759-3800.
The restaurant is now part of Thompson Restaurants, a division of Thompson Hospitality, which operates restaurant brands across several states and Washington, D.C.
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