There is no bird in France as highly regarded as the Bresse chicken. Native to Burgundy, poulet de Bresse is prized for marbled meat and its tricolored appearance—white feathers, red comb, and slate-blue feet—and to find it on a menu in Beaune feels as natural as seeing Dijon mustard or Pinot Noir.
Eva Longoria, pausing mid-filming for her CNN series Searching for France, explains a detailed illustration of that chicken inside the kitchen of Michelin-starred Clos du Cèdre in Beaune. The medieval town, considered Burgundy’s wine capital, will be her base for several days; she’s ordered Bresse chicken both nights. “I continue to be surprised by how regional French cuisine can be,” she says. “Wherever I go, I’m asking: Where did this dish come from? How was it born?”
Culinary origin stories—the way ingredients and histories shape culture—hold Longoria’s show together. Now in its third season, Searching for France follows the actor’s earlier journeys to Mexico, where her family is from, and to Spain, tracing colonial heritage and personal ties. In a crowded field of celebrity travel shows, Longoria distinguishes herself with genuine curiosity: from biting sugar-coated conchas in Mexico City to devouring Catalan prawns in Barcelona. Her connection to France is personal—she fell for the country while married to French-American basketball player Tony Parker—and even after their divorce she retained strong ties. “It feels like a second home,” she says.
On set in Clos du Cèdre’s kitchen, Longoria moves easily between English and French as she and head chef Jordan Billan prepare escargot quenelle, a snail-stuffed dumpling. Under the glare of lights, sous-chefs roll dough into tartlet shells and whisk chocolate. When the director calls “Cut!” Longoria darts around the kitchen, gathering details and sampling fresh bites—snapping a tartlet hot from the oven to share.
Season highlights include tasting Aquitaine caviar in Bordeaux, making cheese in Alsace, and a rain-soaked, seasick-inducing boat ride off Brittany with chef Alain Ducasse that nonetheless yielded an unforgettable blue lobster. “Getting that shot was pure celebration,” she recalls.
At Woodland House, a cooking school and family home south of Beaune, Longoria learns lapin à la moutarde with American expat cooks Marjorie Taylor and Kendall Smith Franchini. The dish resonates: she grew up eating rabbit and frog legs on a Texas ranch where her family raised much of their food. “I’ve always had a very strong relationship with eating simply and cooking simply. And so to be in France and find that parallel with this country is so fascinating to me,” she says.
That sense of authenticity is central to what makes a compelling travel host—something CNN is still trying to define as it expands its travel slate. Amy Entelis, CNN Worldwide’s executive vice president for content and talent development, cites Anthony Bourdain’s influence and says viewers seek knowledge, depth, passion, and learning. At the same time, she notes, audiences in 2026 also want escapism and destinations they already love.
On the show’s final Burgundian shoot day, Longoria joins a truffle hunt at Château d’Entre-Deux-Monts near Dijon. After slogging through mud with truffle hunter Cédric and his dog Sultan, she finds a knobbly, soil-scented fungus—nothing like the perfumed shavings served in restaurants—and happily tucks it into a basket. “On y va!” she calls to the crew. “Let’s go taste it!”
Searching for France maps single delicacies from field to plate: chickens, snails, cheese, truffles, and the people who steward them. Longoria’s enthusiasm, personal ties, and respect for regional traditions anchor the episodes, offering viewers both intimate encounters and wider culinary context.
In Burgundy with Eva
Stay: Hostellerie Cèdre & Spa Beaune—boutique hotel with a small Nuxe spa and an award-winning gastronomy program; a short walk to Beaune’s center and the Hospices de Beaune.
Eat: Clos du Cèdre (inside the hotel) focuses on local producers and classic French dishes like poached Bresse chicken with truffles. Château d’Entre-Deux-Monts offers estate tours and truffle hunts. Château du Clos de Vougeot hosts guided tours and tastings; its winemaking history stretches back centuries.
Shop: The Cook’s Atelier—kitchenware, Pinot Noirs, Dijon peppercorns, and a five-day Seasonal Burgundy Masterclass that concludes at Woodland House.
This feature appeared in the April 2026 issue of Condé Nast Traveler.
