A few facts about the inspiration for Sage Cafe and our cuisine, the beautiful country of France.

France, officially the French Republic, is a country whose metropolitan territory is located in Western Europe and that also comprises various overseas islands and territories located in other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean. French people often refer to Metropolitan France as L'Hexagone (The "Hexagon") because of the geometric shape of its territory.

France is bordered by Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Monaco, Andorra, and Spain. Due to its overseas departments, France also shares land borders with Brazil and Suriname (bordering French Guiana), and the Netherlands Antilles (bordering Saint-Martin). France is also linked to the United Kingdom by the Channel Tunnel, which passes underneath the English Channel.

The French Republic is a democracy that is organized as a unitary semi-presidential republic. Its main ideals are expressed in the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen. It is a developed country with the sixth-largest economy in the world. France is the most visited country in the world, receiving over 75 million foreign tourists (including business visitors) annually. France is one of the founding members of the European Union, and has the largest land area of all members. France is also a founding member of the United Nations, and a member of the Francophonie, the G8, and the Latin Union. It is one of the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council and it is also an acknowledged nuclear power.

The name France originates from the Franks, a Germanic tribe that occupied northern Europe after the fall of the Western Roman Empire. More precisely, the region around Paris, called Île-de-France, was the original French royal demesne.

French Cuisine

French cuisine beyond its borders is often known by its traditionally elaborate haute cuisine, served in high-end restaurants rated by the Guide Michelin. This cuisine codified by chefs like Carême and Escoffier, is a refined cuisine based on combinations of dishes with traditional garnishes and sauces. Many of the dishes are also refinements of dishes found in regional cuisines in France, but refined for the "Parisian" table. This cuisine today is found more often in city centers such as Paris, the everyday French citizen would not prepare this cuisine at home. As a general rule, adult bourgeoisie tend to eat their regional cuisine, while younger urbanites will be more inclined to eat other regional or foreign dishes.

In the late 1960s until the late 1980s the style of serving known as nouvelle cuisine became extremely popular. This style of cooking based on lighter cooking techniques, lack of heavy sauces, and lean toward as use of local and fresh ingredients (particularly vegetables) was in part a lightening of haute cuisine, but some suggest a process that started after World War II when animal proteins were in short supply during its occupation by the Germans.

French wine and French cheese are an integral part of French cuisine, both as ingredients and accompaniments. France is known for its large ranges of wines and cheeses.