Joyeux Fête Nationale! Where To Celebrate Bastille Day

By Amy Cavanaugh in Food on Jul 14, 2012 8:00PM

July 14 is Bastille Day, the anniversary of the 1789 storming of the Bastille, a key event in the French Revolution. We're always looking for excuses to eat croissants or drink champagne, and le quatorze juillet seems like a good one. Here are some options for celebrating the Fête de la Fédération.

Maison: The new French spot in Lakeshore East is offering a half-priced raw bar and a special sampling of French sparkling wines starting at 4 p.m. Iced oysters and poached shrimp are $1.50 each, or go all out with the Grande Platter while sipping a rose brut from Alsace.

Toni Patisserie and Cafe: The charming little cafe is a Chicagoist food staff favorite, and you can sample dishes from the special July menu. There's a merguez sausage baguette with mint, feta, cucumber, tomato, and rouille, a ratatouille tart, and berry clafoutis, among other dishes.

Troquet: The new Ravenswood spot, which has a terrific croque madame and to-die-for frites, is offering a $6 Bellini and $3 Panache (Kronenbourg and Sprite).

Bistronomic: You can get a $39 prix fixe three-course menu all weekend. Choices include chicken liver mousse, salad Lyonnaise (we like this one), and steak frites.

Le Bouchon: Get a $32 three-course menu today with options like duck confit and mussels. There's also a special a la carte menu and French music.