Want to have an “ Affair with a Frenchman”?

We think you should!

Michel Bouit and his Chicago-based culinary consulting company, MBI, Inc. create and lead some really unusual culinary adventures to his native France. These insiders’ travel experiences are offered several times per year, each to a different region, and are truly unique!

Really, what kind of a trip could you plan, that would include a stay in a private 900 -year old ancestral chateau of a French count, an afternoon tramp through sacred truffle hunting grounds with the owner and his dogs, then take the truffles, and the dogs, along with a few local chefs to the “marche aux truffes” to witness the weigh-in and the price haggling - in the true colorful French style - while sipping a glass of chilled Vouvray! Then return to the chateau to relax or stroll the chateau grounds and enjoy a wonderful dinner in the Count’s enormous dining room amidst the warm glow of candlelight, old polished wood, ancestral portraits, a crackling fire, fine wines and a night cap of Calvados brought up from his own cellars.……. And this is just one day!

Their trips are fresh, fun, and full of the unexpected… kind of like traveling without feeling like a tourist! Sure you’ll see the cultural and the historical, but there’s something much more. You’ll meet the people and feel their passion and pride as they serve you that incredible regional meal, explain the family traditions in the art of cheese making, or take you down below that elegant Parisian pastry shop into the tiniest of kitchens where they create magnificence! Michel knows the chefs and the gastronomy; he understands the people and the culture. This is what truly separates these travel adventures from the others. You will feel a sense of belonging, not just observing. The trips are a perfect blend of city and countryside; elegant fine dining and the local bounty from the village markets; of leisure time and visits to fabulous sites.

If traveling in a small group is not for you, they can create a customized itinerary for you complete with all arrangements for air, train, car rental, hotel, chateaux and restaurant reservations, complete with maps and brochures. MBI will make your travel dreams come true by offering the same attention to every detail and the same concern for your enjoyment that is extended to all their clientele.

So, try the Frenchman……. it’s really the only way to go!