socialmedian: Eat Out this Bastille Day ... It's a Tradition

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Eat Out this Bastille Day ... It's a Tradition

Source: History News Network

Jul 13, 2008

Summary

Many of us will hoist a glass of bubbly and nibble a plate of paté in a Gallic eatery today in a misty-eyed hommage to Bastille Day -- that heart-warming moment in 1789 when a mob stormed a near-empty prison, butchered the warden despite promises of safe passage, then liberated all seven prisoners (four forgers, two lunatics and a sleazy “libertine”). But few of us realize just how historically appropriate such a ritual really is. Gourmands may find it hard to believe, but the blood-stained quarter century between that first, confused Bastille Day in 1789 that began the French Revolution and Napoleon’s final defeat at Waterloo in 1815 was also the inspirational testing ground for one of our most beloved and enduring cultural institutions: the restaurant.

Prior to that time, fine dining was the preserve of the rich, who had their own grand kitchens and personal chefs, and even traveled with them from chateau to chateau. The only commercial eateries were seedy roadside inns, where travelers would sit with strangers around a mediocre family-style buffet. S

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