Dear Feastlings,
While we celebrate our own revolution on the 4th of July, the French celebrate theirs a week and a half (and thirteen years) later. We at Feast feel we should offer our gratitude to the French, not only for the military support in our break from England, but for centuries of cuisine and wine that we’re lucky to enjoy. With that in mind, we offer some classic French dishes each year come July 14th, and we waive the built-in-corkage on all of our French wines, which means you get to drink restaurant wine at retail pricing. This year’s caveat is that Bastille Day falls on a Monday, and what’s more, a Monday on the heels of a week where a great many of you will have taken a week off or so. We debated a bit about opening for both lunch and dinner, and in the end, pragmatism won, so we’ll be serving French treats on the 14th from 4:00 pm onward, with our last seating at 8:00.
Variety may be the spice of life, but we’ve had so many asks about whether this dish or that dish will return for the occasion that we’re serving primarily dishes we’ve served before. By request. The wines will be marked down, $15 a bottle on regular 750ml bottles, $8 on halvsies, and $30 on magnums, but only if they’re French. The menu will look like this:
bastille day specials at Feast
Tartare de filet de boeuf~ hand-minced raw beef tenderloin with capers, shallot and parsley. Served with toast points, Dijon mustard and cornichons. * ◊ 20
Tart aux tomates et chèvre~ individual tart of goat cheese custard with cured heirloom cherry tomatoes. 14
Sole á la Meuniere~ Petrale sole, dusted in flour and sautéed. Served with a lemon, wine and butter sauce, rice pilaf and haricots verts. 36
Cassoulet~ traditional southern French ragout of white beans, sausage and duck confit. Garnished with breadcrumbs and served with haricots verts. ◊ 35
Bouillabaisse~ classic tomato-saffron soup with mussels, shrimp, scallops, Maine lobster and sea bass. Garnished with toast points and rouille. ◊ 45
Bifteck-frites~ Grilled hanger steak, sliced and served with pommes frites and sauce Béarnaise. * ◊ 43
Profiteroles au chocolat~ choux pastry filled with vanilla bean ice cream and topped with molten chocolate ganache. 12