Celebrating Julia Child's Centennial

Julia Child would, if alive, celebrate her 100th birthday on Wednesday, Aug. 15, most likely with a glass or two of French wine. Bay Area foodies are celebrating her centennial with everything from special dinner menus to black-and-white video clips of her original TV show, The French Chef.

In Oakland, Restaurant, 3917 Grand Ave., Oakland, will offer a special set menu Wednesday night that restaurant staff describe as "influenced by Julia Child." According to sfist.com, the four-course menu will include chicken tarragon, Provencal fish stew, steak au poivre and a baked prune dessert, all among Child's iconic dishes.

The set menu will cost $55 per person, available during Camino's regular hours of 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. (Most of the regular menu will also be available.) A staff member said reservations for Wednesday evening are filling up quickly, so don't delay if you want to dine there. Call 510-547-5035 or reserve through Open Table.

In Berkeley, Chez Panisse will offer Child-influenced menus all week.

It's hard to overstate how much Child influenced average American cooks to branch out from fried chicken and tuna casseroles into more adventurous dishes, and how much fun her shows could be to watch. Catch a brief glimpse of some of her most memorable moments in the YouTube video above, a preview for a 2009 PBS special.

For more about the centennial, see these links:

Foodies to celebrate Julia Child centennial on Aug. 15 (Contra Costa Times) lists some Bay Area restaurants with special centennial celebrations this week.

Celebrating Julia Child’s Centennial: How “The French Chef” Became TV’s First Hit Cooking Show (KQED's "BayArea Bites") has videos of several original shows, photos and recipes.

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