Sarasota: C'est La Vie (March 2011)

My spouse and I have dined several times at C’est La Vie with family members, most recently in March 2011 and March 2010. It's easy to forget that you're in Florida and not France on your visit to C'est La Vie. When owners Christophe and Geraldine moved to Sarasota 15 years ago, it was their mission to bring an authentic French bistro experience to America. C'est la Vie opened its doors in 1997 and was one of the first restaurants downtown to offer outdoor seating like many of the established bistros in France. Popular menu items at C'est la Vie are quiche, crepes, croissants, and sandwiches made on freshly-baked bread. Most of the recipes are Christophe's own creation, although some were passed down from parents who ran their own restaurant in Paris when he was a child.