HAPPY (belated) FOURTH OF JULY! Since hot dogs and badly-grilled burgers aren’t EatingLV.com’s thing, we thought we’d provide a patriotic history lesson with this week’s featured restaurant. We’ve chosen a French restaurant as our ROTW on our nation’s birthday because:

1) There would be no Independence Day if the French government hadn’t supplied the Continental Congress and Army with money, food, arms, clothing, ships and soldiers during the Revolutionary War;

2) The American flag is red, white, and blue as a tribute to France (and its flag) and its contribution to our independence;

3) The French gave us the Statue of Liberty;

4) Without France, there would be no: restaurants (which is a French word and a French invention), napoleons, eclairs, croque monsieur, crepes, omelettes, eggs Benedict, souffles, creme brulee, profiteroles, Roquefort, madeleines, bouillabaisse, French bread, French cheese, French fries, French wine or French pastries. Not to mention rouget barbet en ecailles de pommes de terre crousillantes or pigeon en feuillete au chou nouveau et au foie gras. Finally, and most importantly;

5) Without the French, we’d all have pasty complexions and bad teeth and still be eating flavorless food with names like toad in the hole and spotted dick.

So let’s celebrate the Fourth (and the Fourteenth – Bastille Day) in style, and give thanks to our beloved sister country that has given, and continues to give us, loads of good grub and guys who can cook it. And here’s a look at our best French bistro, presided over by the estimable Francois Payard (and his able lieutenant –
Gregory Gorreau) – two of the best chefs in America, and two guys who know how to run a top notch eatery & pastry shop.