There is no bird in France as revered as the Bresse chicken. Native to Burgundy, poulet de Bresse is prized for marbled meat and a tricolored look — white feathers, a red comb, and slate-blue feet — and spotting it on a Beaune menu feels as expected as finding Dijon mustard or Pinot Noir.
Eva Longoria, pausing between takes on her CNN series Searching for France, studies a detailed illustration of that very bird pinned to the kitchen wall of the Michelin-starred Clos du Cèdre in Beaune. The medieval town, long considered Burgundy’s wine capital, is her base for several days; she orders Bresse chicken both nights. She says she keeps asking the same questions wherever she travels: where did this dish start, and how did it become what it is?
Those origin stories — how ingredients, land and history shape a cuisine — are the connective tissue of Longoria’s show. Now in its third season, Searching for France builds on her earlier journeys to Mexico and Spain, where she traced family roots and colonial histories. Among a crowded field of celebrity travel programs, Longoria stands out for a genuine curiosity: from biting sugar-dusted conchas in Mexico City to tearing into Catalan prawns in Barcelona. Her relationship with France is personal too — she fell for the country while married to French-American basketball player Tony Parker, and even after their divorce she retained strong ties. France, she says, feels like a second home.
On set at Clos du Cèdre, Longoria shifts easily between English and French while she and head chef Jordan Billan assemble an escargot quenelle, a snail-filled dumpling. Under hot lights, sous-chefs press dough into tartlet shells and whip chocolate ganache. When the director calls cut, she darts through the kitchen, noting small details and tasting hot bites — passing along a freshly baked tartlet as she goes.
Season highlights range from sampling Aquitaine caviar in Bordeaux to making cheese in Alsace. A rain-lashed, seasick-inducing boat trip off Brittany with chef Alain Ducasse yielded an unforgettable blue lobster — landing that shot, she says, felt like pure celebration. 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 on a Texas ranch where rabbit and frog legs were familiar, and she has always valued simple, hands-on cooking.
That sense of authenticity matters. CNN, expanding its travel slate, is still defining what viewers want in a travel host. Amy Entelis, CNN Worldwide’s executive vice president for content and talent development, points to Anthony Bourdain’s influence and says audiences crave knowledge, depth, passion and learning — even as many also want escapism and familiar destinations.
On the final Burgundy 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 uncovers a knobbly, earth-scented fungus — far from the perfumed shavings diners see at restaurants — and tucks it into a basket with delight. ‘On y va!’ she calls to the crew. ‘Let’s go taste it!’
Searching for France traces single delicacies from field to plate: chickens, snails, cheese, truffles, and the people who tend them. Longoria’s enthusiasm, personal connections and respect for regional traditions anchor each episode, offering viewers intimate encounters alongside broader culinary context.
In Burgundy with Eva
Stay: Hostellerie Cèdre and Spa Beaune — a 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 and carries a winemaking history that spans 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 originally appeared in the April 2026 issue of Condé Nast Traveler.
