Thursday, July 14, 7:00 pm
Members $100, guests $125

History lesson: On July 14, 1789, a Parisian mob stormed the Bastille fortress, freeing political prisoners and inciting the French Revolution. In France, Bastille Day is celebrated on that day every year; it represents the breaking down of barriers between classes, the arrival of freedom for individuals, and the emergence of the French republic. At the Beard House, it also represents the time of year when we get to invite one of our favorite French chefs to create a revolutionary meal. This year we have called upon Eric Damidot of the Ritz-Carlton Atlanta to stir up a Bastille Day Feast.

Damidot hails from Bandol, in the south of France. He received a degree from the Golf Hotel Culinary School and, at the age of 16, began working as a pastry cook. He went on to cook at several Michelin-starred restaurants in France before relocating to Los Angeles to take a sous-chef position at L’Orangerie. From there, Damidot joined the Ritz-Carlton San Francisco, where he served as banquet chef. The Ritz then moved him to Palm Beach, Florida, to take on the post of chef at the Grill Room. Ready for a change, Damidot took the position of executive banquet chef at the Bellagio in Las Vegas. He returned to his native France in 2003 to help re-open the celebrated Le Palais de la Méditeranée in Nice, a landmark hotel that had been closed for over 20 years. Damidot was lured back to the United States—and the Ritz-Carlton—with an executive chef position at the hotel’s outpost in Atlanta, where he oversees the Atlantic Grill restaurant and all hotel banquet services.

When it comes to food, citizens of the United States have much to celebrate on Bastille Day—namely our freedom to enjoy fine French cuisine here at home. Gear up your most voracious appetites and get ready to storm the Beard House on this momentous French holiday.