As the Olympics fast approach, you might suddenly discover an urge to learn about the intricacies of track and field, decathlon or track cycling.
Or better yet, considering the games will be held in Paris this year, dive into all things French.
And why not start with food (and maybe some wine)?
So if you are looking for somewhere to watch the Olympics and get some culture, the Canberra Southern Cross Club should be top of your list with the launch of their French-inspired blackboard menus available from Bastille Day, 14 July.
The Olympic Games will be on screens across the Woden, Tuggeranong and Jamison clubs, along with a wide range of sweet and savoury French food options, as well as French wines to drink.
Canberra Southern Cross Club food and beverage manager Anurag Gautam says the team is excited to be putting on their first promotion dedicated to the Olympics.
“We have never done anything for the Olympics before, but we’re really excited to kick it off this year,” Anurag says.
“We love celebrating different cultures at the clubs. We’ve done Oktoberfest, Feast of Italy and heaps more over the years.
“The Olympics felt like a great excuse to embrace French cuisine and our chefs have been very excited to create traditional French dishes that we might not typically serve.
“We want as many people as possible to come in and enjoy the experience, so we have made a conscious decision to make sure the items on the menu are well-priced.
“We have gone the extra mile to make sure everything is as authentic as possible, so we’re actually importing as many ingredients as we can straight from France.”
Along with the new blackboard specials menu, the clubs will be decorated in a French theme and, of course, the screens in the clubs will be on and showing different Olympic events.
“We’ll obviously make the Australian events a priority, but if a guest has an event they want to watch on the big screen, we are more than happy to put it on.”
Anurag says the timing of the Olympics has worked out perfectly.
“We really wanted the theme to last as long as possible, so we are launching the promotion before the Olympics, on Bastille Day on 14 July, which means there is more time for people to enjoy our French creations.”
The blackboard specials menu includes eight traditional French dishes like Salade Niçoise and Coq au Vin, they will also offer a traditional French cheese board to nibble from while watching the games and for those with a sweet tooth a chocolate fondant.
If French cuisine isn’t your thing, the club classics and favourite meals will still be available.
Throughout the promotion, the clubs will be operating during regular hours and encourage everyone to come along and embrace French culture while watching the biggest event on the sporting calendar.
For more information on the French menu and other events at the clubs, visit the Canberra Southern Cross Club.