This weekend, you can be a wizard, a sailor, a seafoodie, and a French person. That's a pretty good weekend in our book. more ›

She is perhaps France's most-beloved daughter, an award-winning actress and international musical star: Charlotte Gainsbourg, daughter of the iconic Serge, who inspired a pub in Greenwood that Seattlest wrote about shortly after it opened at the end of 2008. Point being, she's in town toay and will stop by the Alliance Française of Seattle offices at the Good Shepherd Center in Wallingford tonight at 7. She's on tour, promoting her latest album, IRM, on which she collaborated with Beck. (Digital download here.) more ›

She's Zofia Smardz, deputy travel editor of the Washington Post, whosearticle on indifferent meals in Paris was featured in Sunday's Seattle Times. He's Michael Steinberger, wine columnist for Slate, whose recent book, Au Revoir to All That, argues that French gastronomy is in fatal decline. Between them, you'd think France was knee-deep in crummy croissants and plastic cheese. more ›

As most of you know, today the French traditionally celebrate the storming of the Bastille by breaking into the nearest jail and freeing whomever catches their eye. Trust the French! Well, they've got a good thing going and they know it. Here in the U.S. the stakes are considerably higher when it comes the legal ramifications of citizen's-arrest take-backs. more ›

There's a Place Balard (one "l") in southwest Paris, about 20 minutes from the Bastille, the one-time prison at the figurative center of the French Revolution. These days (a week ahead of Bastille Day) the Place de la Bastille is a hub of music and nightlife, much like Seattle's Ballard Avenue on these warm July nights. At the brand new Bastille Café & Bar, a bustling crew of 60 tends to the needs of swarming drinkers and diners. Owners James Weimann (Peso's, Triangle) and Deming Maclise (Caffè Fiorè) recruited industry veterans Shannon Galusha (Veil) to run the kitchen, James Lechner (Café Campagne) to run the dining room and Armin Moloudzadeh (Black Bottle) to run the bar. more ›

A Frenchman runs Amazon's worldwide customer service; a French-made engine powers Boeing's 737s. In all, some 600,000 Americans owe their jobs to French investment in the U.S., while American investment in France employs 600,000 Frenchies. Despite the economic crunch felt by both countries, there's still a billion dollars of bilateral trade between the U.S. and France every day, says Pierre Vimont, the French ambassador to the U.S. more ›

He's an American journalist with street cred in two countries: a graduate of the School of Journalism at Columbia and founder of the alternative Fort Worth Weekly. Robert Camuto moved to the south of France 12 years ago (his wife is French), started a blog and began contributing to Wine Specator. And, of course, writing a book. more ›

Remembering that 85 percent of all accidents occur in the home, Seattlest has little excuse to stay in town. Where to go? France, of course! more ›

Tera will be catching the Saturday evening premiere of Spring Awakening at the Paramount. Saturday evening will be followed with a leisurely plane ride to Orlando where she’ll be trying out for the Mickey Mouse Club, or riding rollercoasters--however you want to look at it. more ›

The Euro Cup starts this weekend-- it's just like the World Cup except there is more overt racism, and the fans have free health care. more ›

It's week something-or-other of SIFF, and the hits just keep on coming! So, here are this week's picks. For all SIFF screenings, the general/member ticket prices are $11/$9 (and matinees $8/$7), except for gala screenings and other special events, which cost more. more ›

Photo by Nils Geylen. Thanks! more ›

Last night the Northwest Film Forum had a line out the door with moviegoers eager for some classic European cinema. As previously mentioned, the Italian sex comedy Divorce--Italian Style (and its follow-up, Seduced and Abandoned) are showing in the small theater through tomorrow, leaving the big one to hold the main event, the NWFF's latest film series, Duel of the Cool. more ›

No sensationalism, please, no hoaxes. No phony "Fierce French Fish (Bites the Hand that Feeds It)" headlines. Seriousness must prevail, even when Seattlest is posting dispatches from the west coast of France. more ›

By all appearances, The Slog, has morphed into upscale French underwear. We came across this display over the weekend at the Galeries Lafayette in Biarritz. more ›

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