We can thank the French for the basis of many of the delicious dishes we know and love, and now Downtown Los Angeles is home to a French import fast-casual cafe where the emphasis is on eating well with fresh and affordable ingredients. more ›

Today's video lunch beckons yet another wave of nostalgia via the show's intro. Based off of the popular children's book series by Ludwig Bemelmans, the television series originally aired on the Family Channel in 1993. Not ringing a bell? How about this snippet from the intro of each book: "In an old house in Paris that was covered in vines, lived twelve little girls in two straight lines..." Recalling her adventures yet? more ›

Two French nationals were detained on Friday on suspicion of vandalism in the vicinity of the Geffen Contemporary at MOCA, where a high-profile exhibit on graffiti and street art opened over the weekend. The Los Angeles Police Department believe that one of the suspects detained is the well known street artist "Space Invader," who uses mosaic tiles as his medium, according to LA Now. more ›

Meet Délice de Bourgogne. She is your new best friend. She is special not only for her many charms and flexible nature but also for her accessibility and price. Délice de Bourgogne lives, among other places, at Trader Joe's. But she wasn't born there. She's was born in France. A cow's milk cheese from the Burgundy region, this lux, buttery, "triple cream" product (meaning cream is twice added to the milk during the cheese-making process), has a nutty, earthy bite that's considerably milder than its sharp smell. more ›

The Barclay Theater in the OC is doing some big things right these days. Last weekend, they hosted the local premiere of a beautifully elegant evening of Sankai Juku, the award-winning Japanese company that is a highpoint of the dance form known as butoh. This week—only on Thursday—they present French contemporary dance with Ballet Preljocaj, a world renowned group under the direction of its celebrated choreographer, Angelin Preljocaj. more ›

In case you missed it, FIFA World Cup South Africa 2010 kicks off today at 7:00 AM. The tournament's inaugural match will feature the host nation against Mexico. A few hours later -- 11:30 AM to be more precise -- France will go up against Uruguay to close out the tournament's first day of action. Be sure to check out the LAist World Cup Guide for handy information pertaining to viewing parties and great places to get a slice of the World Cup experience here in L.A. more ›

There is no Santa. George Bush did not win the 2000 election. And Jean-Luc Retard and Bonnie Day are frauds. Inspired by 1960s French pop, these ex-Brooklynites have been spreading their cheeky, retro pop all over the world. We sat down with Jean-Luc Retard and Bonnie Day (aka Dan Crane and Emily Welsch) for brunch in Silver Lake last Saturday, in order to get to our burning questions answered. How French were they? How many Skittles did Emily have to consume in the Loli video? Was it true that Dan had an alter ego that was an air guitar champion? And did they really get sued by their former band member? Here is some of what was said. For frauds, their answers were surprisingly honest. more ›

OK, we've all heard The Four Seasons, Vivaldi’s classic musical masterpiece that has served as the mainstay for every symphonic orchestra across the globe, scored or inspired many films and has even been turned into muzak to entertain you in your nearest elevator. Well, leave it to the French and Ballet Preljocaj to put a contemporary spin on this tried-and-true aural landscape and make it jump (a video clip is below, it's pretty amazing). more ›

The Oscar winning director fled to France, who does not extradite anyone for any reason, 30 years ago after admittedly having sex with a 13-year-old at Jack Nicholson's house. So he chose: jail for France? But now he wants to be back stateside as a free man, the LA Times finds: "Lawyers for Polanski, a French citizen, cited misconduct by prosecutors and a judge in papers filed in L.A. County Superior Court today. The attorneys said that a recent HBO documentary about the case, 'Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired,' 'revealed a pattern of misconduct and improper communications between the Superior Court and the district attorney’s office in violation of the rule of law and without the knowledge' of the director and his defense." more ›

Just a mere week old on the Interwebs, this video by French DJ team Justice has already managed to cause serious controversy throughout the French media, meaning said controversy will undoubtedly cross the pond upon further exposure. The video's nascent beginnings can be traced back to Kanye West's blog, wherein he claims to be the first to have shared it on May 1st. First or not, this video is pretty cool. more ›

Many great gifts have come from the French; the Statue of Liberty, "French fries" and of course Gerard Depardieu. None of these gifts, however are going to be much help should James Bond or John McClane come running for you. That's where the urban art form rooted in the streets of Paris known as Parkour, or l'art du déplacement, will come in handy. If you'd like to learn this art form without tasting concrete, PK... more ›