November

We were delighted to have our Traditional Thanksgiving lunch again at the Hotel de Paris in Monaco on Thursday November 24. This has always our most popular event of the year, and 2011 was no exception. As is customary, it was a traditional American lunch with turkey and all the trimmings, preceded by a champagne reception - all served to the superb high standards of the Hotel de Paris.

October

The American Club of the Riviera is one of the 50 member organizations of the Association of American Clubs ("AAC").

Each year, the Presidents / Officers of AAC member clubs meet to exchange experiences and ideas, and to plan for the forthcoming year.

This year, our Club was proud to host the 2011 Conference of Presidents of American Clubs ("COPAC"). The Conference took place at the Marriott Hotel la Porte de Monaco.


Our many thanks to Jennie Dallery for organizing several events surrounding the COPAC Conference.

September - Saturday, September 17 - Lunch, wine tour and tasting at Château de Berne

We visited the Château de Berne, a 600-hectare estate in producing wines since 1750 , for aperitifs and a fine lunch. Afterwards, we were given a tour of the wine cellar and tasting of its A.O.C. Cotes de Provence wines. This event follows from our very enjoyable visit to the property a few years ago, since which it has also become a four-star Relais-et-Château hotel.

July - Monday, July 04 - Dinner at the Grand Hotel Cap Ferrat

We celebrated Independence Day at the Grand Hotel Cap Ferrat, one of only eight hotels in France which hold the rank of "palace". We met at 19:30 for aperitifs, to be followed by dinner in their Michelin-starred restaurant.

Click here to download the speech (PDF)

June - Saturday, June 11 - Gastronomic Lunch at Alain Llorca and Guided Tour of Maeght Foundation

For our June event, we have selected the latest restaurant of Alain Llorca, in La Colle Sur Loup. We have combined this with the opportunity (optional) to tour the nearby Maeght Foundation in St. Paul with an English-speaking guide, following our lunch. Should you wish to join us for the tour, please tick the box below and include in your check the amount of Euro 15 per person.

We will gather for aperitifs at 12:30 at the restaurant. Please note that there is no pre-arranged menu; the chef decides on the day what he will prepare. The menu will be available when you arrive, and any dietary requirements should be made known to the restaurant at that time. Parking is available at the restaurant.

May - Saturday 14 - Lunch during the 64rd Festival de Cannes

Have you ever felt like a movie star? Our May event will permit you to enjoy the atmosphere of the Cannes Film Festival, and to have an excellent lunch with Club members and guests at the Belle Plage Restaurant on the Cannes beach which many of you enjoyed for the last few years.

Cannes is very animated during the Festival from May 11-22, 2011, and with Robert de Niro as the President of the Cannes jury this year, should be even more dynamic than usual. The atmosphere can perhaps be best enjoyed on foot. The Croisette beach restaurants are either privately booked or excessively expensive, so we have chosen one on the Plage du Midi, just beyond the Old Port across from the Square Mistral (see map enclosed). The walk to the Palais des Festivals is an easy and pleasant one along the sea and the port.

We will gather for aperitifs at 12 noon to facilitate your travel and parking on what should be a festive day. We have chosen an attractive menu (attached) accompanied by a good selection of wines. Should you have any special dietary requirements, please note them on your confirmation form available for download in PDF format above.

April - Saturday 16 - Wine Tasting and Lunch, La Chaumière Restaurant, Monaco

La Chaumière, located above Monaco, has splendid views over the city and the Mediterranean. The lunch will be combined with a wine-tasting led by Jennie Dallery. Jennie had worked in New York, Paris and the South of France as a communications manager for such organizations as UNESCO, EdF, and Accenture before becoming a wine consultant several years ago.

Adjacent to the restaurant is the celebrated Jardin Exotique, which boasts collections of plants dating back over 100 years. An anthropology museum (founded in 1902 by Prince Albert I) and an observatory cave are located within the grounds. We are sure that you will enjoy a visit to the jardin before or following lunch.

March - Sunday, March 13 - A Day at the Races

The HIPPODROME in Cagnes-sur-Mer occupies 63 hectare on the sea front, and has been in existence since 1951. They have two kinds of races,Trotters and Flat Racing, with horses coming from different countries in Europe. On Sunday March 13, they have one of the important Trotting race the "Grand Criterium de Vitesse Des Casino de Monte Carlo". We will have our lunch at the panoramic Restaurant Le Paddock where Chef Jean Pierre Pestre offers the flavors of a Provençal cuisine while you are enjoying the races and a view of the sea.

February - Saturday, February 12 - Lunch at "Le Clos St. Pierre"

Our visit commenced promptly at 11h00 with a 45-minute private guided visit in English of the Moulin d'Opio (a.k.a. Moulin de la Brague) which has been in the Michel family since 1848, and produces superb AOC olive oil.

The Mill closed at around noon, and we then drove a few minutes to the Michelin-starred restaurant Clos St. Pierre in nearby Le Rouret, where Owner Chef Daniel Ettlinger served us a fine meal, with excellent wines, as he did in April 2009.

January - Saturday, January 22, - Lunch and Annual General Meeting 2011

The beginning of the New Year marks our reflection on the past year and the outlook for the months ahead of us. Therefore, we do invite you to join us for the Annual General Meeting 2011. The year 2010 has been an excellent year for the Club... good participation on ALL events, many new members and guests, and the start of sharing events with other Clubs of the region. Perhaps the highlight of the year 2010 was the presence of the US Ambassador to Paris and his wife at our May Event in Cannes.

We also introduced our new website with information on forthcoming events, past events and a "members only" section with our photo gallery. The year 2011 will bring new web features for members and guests, so that signing up and paying for events, as well as paying membership dues online will be available.

Please help us being successful again in 2011; you are part of this magnificent and interesting mix of personalities and nationalities. Your support and your suggestions will help to enhance the range of activities of the Club - Your Club !