For those of us that are not familiar with the holiday, Bastille Day, sometimes called French National Day, commemorates the beginning of the French Revolution with the July 14 storming of Bastille in 1789. Troops stormed through Bastille, which at the time was a medieval fortress and prison in Paris that was widely regarded as a symbol of being ruled under the hated Bourbon monarchy. The Fête de la Fédération was established exactly one year later, on July 14, 1780, to celebrate achieving a constitutional monarchy within France. Countless pieces of art, literature and festivities have been created to commemorate the event. The day has become one of wide celebration, with military parades and giant community meals, as well as fabulous balls and festive firework displays.
While the Pacific Northwest isn’t exactly the French Riviera, the day is still celebrated throughout our region. Take a look at some of the events gathered here, and we dare you to not fall head over heels in love with a little slice of French culture and, of course, wine.
Cocotte || Portland
It seems that is possible to find a little bit of Paris hidden right in the streets of Portland. Cocotte is a French-inspired bistro-style restaurant, an absolute treasure dreamt up and established by the brilliant Kat LaSueur. A menu that caters to whatever is in season and is the most fresh, the dishes put a Northwest twist on French classics. LaSueur has designed an entire one-day only menu exclusively dedicated to Bastille Day. This July 14, enjoy salade nicoise and tomato tart tatin and indulge on ratatouille and steamed mussels au fenouil, amongst other French classics included in the three course meal. Tickets are $40 per person, with a minimum of two people per purchase.
Bastille Café and Bar || Seattle
If we can’t go celebrate a true Bastille Day in France, heading to a place actually called Bastille Café and Bar has to be pretty good, oui? Certainly less expensive, although don’t remove Bastille celebrations in France from your bucket list just yet. The restaurant features 19th century sconces straight from a church in France and a clock that used to hang in a metro station in Paris, among other pieces of French history and treasure. Bastille Café and Bar is dedicating just about the entire day to celebrating, from 2 pm to close. Sip cocktails and $5 glasses of house rosé, witness and participate in a pig roast and enjoy live French jazz music on the restaurant patio. Fill up at the oyster bar on the terrace. Head to the back bar at 9 pm for a fun and seductive Burlesque show. As if that wasn’t already enough, the staff will be serving boozed-up snow-cones! Stop on by to celebrate, and as they like to say, feast on “damn good French cuisine.”
Bastille Day Petanque Tournament || Edmonds, WA
The third annual Bastille Day Petanque Tournament will start at 10 am on Sunday, July 12 at the Edmonds Civic Playfield. Petanque is a type of boules in which players attempt to toss hollow metal balls to land them as close as they can to a smaller, wooden ball. The $20 fee covers admission and refreshments, with the option to order a t-shirt for an additional $20. Registration is due July 9, so don’t hesitate to sign up!
Bastille Day Festival || Vancouver
The French Community invites Vancouverites to celebrate Bastille Day Festival on France’s National Day to taste and live like the French do. Listen to a French accordionist while tasting wine, cheese and pastries along the water of False Creek on Granville Island. Other activities include a “French” photobooth, a live DJ, marching band performances, “baquette” relay race and much more. Fun facts: Vancouver is one of the most ethnically and linguistically diverse cities in Canada with 52 percent of its residents having first language other than English and more than 25,000 people have French as mother tongue.
Café Campagne || Seattle
Café Campagne has been part of the Pike Place phenomenon since 1994, when the restaurant opened its doors up along the famous Post Alley. The restaurant offers an approachable, laid back take on French fine dining. Reminiscent of alley-way hidden cafes along cobblestone paths, the food is inspired by dishes in Provence and Southern France. On July 14 the restaurant will offer street food and a variety of beers and wine, as well as host live music and a Burlesque show. Festivities start at 4 pm, but as any market goer can tell you, try to make your way down there a bit early, so you can wander about Pike Place in that whimsical, I’m-lost-but-I-love-it sort of way.
