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 ›

Faithful Seattlest readers will recognize Rachael Coyle, connoisseur of pho, lover of steel-cut oats and pastry chef extraordinaire. Since April of 2007 she's been employed by Seattle's frenchiest café, Le Pichet, and last night--at the first Beaujolais Nouveau party of the weekend--we had the pleasure of tasting her masterpiece, a coconut cream éclair with chocolate glaze. more ›

Dine-Arounds are popular in November; here's one more: the 16th annual Beaujolais Nouveau festival, sponsored by Seattle's French-American Chamber of Commerce. Used to be, the FACC counted on Beaujolais to raise a ton of cash, so they gussied up what's traditionally an informal country fair, turning it into a black tie event in a glittering hotel ballroom. more ›

It's run by an actual French expatriate, Marc -- who recognized us when we stopped in last week despite our three-year absence, and came over to see how our life up north was going. Oddly, no matter how irregularly we stop in, it always seems like one of the baristas has just gotten back from Seattle. (This time one had just returned via Amtrak, a 28-hour trip thanks to one of Amtrak's we-don't-own-our-tracks "delays.") more ›

Ratatouille has grossed a quarter billion simoleons since its release last month, but the biggest kick might be that it's getting kids interested in French food. Daisley Gordon, the chef at Seattle's Campagne, is even giving Saturday morning ratatouille cooking classes. more ›