Foodievents

How to Fête Bastille Day the Chicago Way

319 219 years ago today, the bourgeoisie stormed the Bastille and liberated its seven prisoners — and, while they were at it, essentially formed modern France. No one’s requiring you to perform any feats of prison breaking (especially considering that, for the powers that be, it’s been a bad week on that front), but you can raise a glass to liberté, egalité, and fraternité nonetheless. Read on for our picks of the best fêtes in town.

• Every day is a Bastille Day celebration with chef Didier Durand, but today he makes it more literal, running a four-course celebration of la belle France at Cyrano’s Bistrot for $39.95.

• Kick back and watch the Tour de France and nosh on a French-style hot dog (er, make that a chien chaud) at Brasserie Jo, while listening to the tres cool music of Alfonso Ponticelli and Swing Gitan.

• $17.89 gets you far at Bistro 110: the year-appropriate price is the cost of any entree or a glass of Krug champagne.

Cafe Des Architectes honors not one but two revolutionary years — get a croque madame and chilled vichyssoise for $17.89, or a barbecue chicken sandwich with tomato soup for a patriotic $17.76.

Marche is pulling out all the stops, including French lasses in costume, burlesque grand mistress Michelle “Toots” L’Amour, and a French-music-only DJ. There’ll be food, too.

Planning on storming another city? Find Bastille Day activities in New York, Boston, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Philadelphia.

How to Fête Bastille Day the Chicago Way