Bastille Day in New York

By  Joelle Blackstock

Let’s take a moment to step back in to history. Picture it: July 14, 1789. A Bastille, a medieval fortress and prison, houses political prisoners to the Bourbon monarchy. Then all of a sudden political unrest ensues and the Bastille is taken over by troops marking the beginning of the French Revolution. Thus, Bastille Day marks the anniversary of this fall in France.

Fast forward to July 12, 2015, 60^th street from 5^th avenue to Lexington Avenue was filled with all things crepes, macaroons, and éclairs because if it is not obvious already, the best way to celebrate anything in New York is with food. It was a great sunny day at Bastille Day in NYC hosted by the French Institute Alliance Française. The moment I stepped off the subway the smell of croissants just draws you in. FYI, every street corner on a Sunday afternoon should smell like warm croissants all year long.

One of my favorite booths has got to be the olive oils featured by Oliviers & Co. With boutiques all across the world including three in New York City, this company features great oils, spreads, vinegars, spices, and other condiments. I’ll admit, what caught my attention first was a call for anyone wanting free samples. So I moved through the crowd to find a layout of breads drizzled with their Olive & Basil Oil and then another with their Balsamic Vinegar. Never have you seen people go crazy over olive oil, but if you could taste these, you’d understand why. Everything was aromatic and each note really came through. Just a dash of the Olive & Basil Oil made that small slice of bread taste like I was eating what was left of the crust of a margarita pizza.

*Chocolate and Vanilla macaroons

Almost everywhere you looked there were macaroons. Sad to say I opted for the simple chocolate and vanilla at first. But don’t worry. I quickly came to my senses and opted for something a little more exciting like grapefruit from the Macaron Cafe or strawberry from the Macaron Parlour.

*Took a moment to smell the roses from Ode à la Rose

* The chef working on my cinnamon and sugar crepe.

Vintage Citroën car