Top 10 French dishes in the Phoenix area

On July 14, 1789, French mobs stormed the Bastille prison, setting off the French Revolution. Now, 225 years later, we commemorate the occasion by storming French restaurants.

So put a baguette under your arm, a beret on your head and Piaf on your iPod, and enjoy 10 of this town's best French dishes.

10. Macarons — Essence Bakery

Eugenia Theodosopoulos trained at famed Les Ecoles Lenotre in Paris, and her stunning macarons — almond paste cookie sandwiches, light and slightly chewy — can compete with any in the home country. The ones filled with chocolate and caramel cream are particularly stunning.

Details: 3839 E. Indian School Road, Phoenix, 602-206-4958 (and 825 W. University Drive, Tempe), essencebakery.com.

9. Mussels — Voila

George Venezia has been part of the Valley's French and seafood restaurant scene for almost 40 years. The man can flex his mussels, which come from the pristine waters off Canada's Maritime Provinces. The moules au pastis feature plump bivalves in a handsome tomato sauce fragrant with garlic and saffron.

Details: Mercado at Scottsdale Ranch, 10135 E. Via Linda, Scottsdale. 480-614-5600, voilabistroaz.com.

8. Bouillabaisse — Razz's Restaurant & Catering

In France, they say you can't get a real bouillabaisse outside of Marseille. Chef Razz Kamnitzer understands the logic, so he puts his own Latin-American spin on this scrumptious seafood stew, dispensing with the saffron and seasoning with red chile and garlic.

Details: 10315 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale. 480-905-1308, razzsrestaurant.com.

7. Croque Madame — Pig & Pickle

Served at brunch, this open-faced, fork-and-knife sandwich is a heart-stopper, in every sense of the term: a thick hunk of bread topped with ham, cheese, two eggs and real-deal sauce Mornay (Bearnaise thickened with grated cheese).

Details: 2922 N. Hayden Road, Scottsdale. 480-990-1407, pigandpickle.com.

6. Sole Grenobloise — J&G Steakhouse

This exquisite Mediterranean species becomes even more exquisite once it's masterfully sauteed and enrobed in a sauce Grenobloise, fashioned out of lemon butter and capers. It's a classic French dish, classically filleted tableside.

Details: Phoenician resort, 6000 E. Camelback Road, Phoenix. 480-214-8000, jgsteakhouse.com.

5. Steak Frites — Christopher's Restaurant & Crush Lounge

The combo of steak and fries is an everyday bistro staple. But James Beard Award-winner Christopher Gross' version is anything but everyday. That's because he infuses both the luscious smoked filet and crispy fries with the scent of truffles.

Details: Biltmore Fashion Park, 2502 E. Camelback Road, Phoenix. 602-522-2344, christophersaz.com.

4. Bone Marrow — Petite Maison

This straightforward French peasant dish gets an imaginative boost from a coating of braised escargots touched up with white anchovies, whose sharp, salty sting cuts through the richness of the marrow and snails. A dab of mint chimichurri, meanwhile, adds a piquant jab of unexpected energy.

Details: 7216 E. Shoeman Lane, Scottsdale, 480-991-6887, petitemaisonaz.com.

3. Onion Soup — Zinc Bistro

Though there's no Eiffel Tower in Kierland Commons, chef Matt Carter's onion soup can make you question your bearings. It's a bubbling crock of just-right broth topped with a raft of toasted bread and a stretchy canopy of melted Gruyere.

Details: Kierland Commons, 15034 N. Scottsdale Road, Phoenix. 480-603-0922, zincbistroaz.com.

2. Sweetbreads — Vincent Guerithault

James Beard Award-winner Vincent Guerithault starts with sweetbreads and adds his own magical touches: crusting them with blue corn meal and draping them in a heady red-wine thyme reduction. You may never want to eat sweetbreads prepared another way.

Details: 3930 E. Camelback Road, Phoenix. 602-224-0225, vincentoncamelback.com.

1. Foie Gras — Posh

Chef Joshua Hebert ratchets up the luxury quotient on this already-luxurious dish by lacing the foie gras with cognac, sprinkling on a bit of sugar and blowtorching the surface to a bruleed crunch.

Details: Optima Camelview Village, 7167 E. Rancho Vista Drive. 480-663-7674, poshscottsdale.com.