The Tournees French Film Festival at the Grand Cinema inspired me to take a walk on the French side of Tacoma Thursday.

The plan started out, to watch “Les Choiristes” and grab some fromage, some vin, and some cuisine.

I started out the cuisine side of things with a trip to Stadium Bistro â€" tenderloin, salad avec chevre, and tomato bisque and grilled cheese with wine (not French).  Waiter Mike kept my glass filled with an amazingly sippable Malbec. 

I left happy and made my way up to the Grand Cinema, a sweetly beautiful piece that matched the Corina Bakery Magic Cookie bars that were offered after the show while the conversation, moderated by Pierce College’s Dan Skeldon, ensued.

Afterward, I felt the need for cheese and wine, but â€"merde! â€" Enoteca was already closed.  I went back to Stadium Bistro and enjoyed a trio of crèmes brulee.  They were delicately flavored (one was citric, one had hazelnut essence to it, and I believe the last was a vanilla/cherry) and tres yummy.

Of course, in my world, nothing exceeds like excess, so I did a French day, part deux, yesterday, with my favorite ever lobster bisque from Babblin’ Babs for lunch, followed by dinner with my mother-in-law and daughter at La Crème Brulee in Steilacoom.

Though service was a trifle slow, especially when it came to ordering dessert and getting the check (by which point the wee one was growing wary of the whole dining out thing,) the food was amazing, from the crudités shared before our meal, through to the salads with salmon both adults ordered (kidlette got gorgeously piped mashed potatoes and an assortment of vegetables), and on to the aforementioned desserts: my daughter said her peach and strawberry sorbet was divine, while the grown-ups were digging on the Crème Brulee and a slice of heaven that was a cross between mousse and cake.

Now, completely sated, all I want a nap, to be followed by a solid hour of sweaty fun at the gym to try to undo some of the damage all this fine cuisine has done. â€" Jessica Corey-Butler