The B-Side Lounge 92 Hampshire Street, Cambridge 617.354.0766 Open Thu-Sat 5:30pm-2am, Sun-Wed 5:30pm-1am. By Alison Arnett, Globe Staff, 7/14/2002 ....great French food..... 1. Maison Robert 45 School St., Old City Hall, Boston 617-227-3370This elegant and classic restaurant, owned for three decades by the Robert family, fulfills all the dreams of French food. The glowing wood-paneled dining room with its beautiful china and linens is the ultimate in romantic. But in the summer when the weather cooperates, the patio is wonderfully appealing, too. And the service, while correct, is warm and friendly. Ending with one of the signature souffles will send you dreamily out, saying, ''O oh, la la.'' 2. Brasserie Jo 120 Huntington Ave., Colonnade Hotel, Boston 617-425-3240 There is high-style French dining and then there is more casual eating, typified in Paris by the bustling brasseries, once dedicated to beer drinkers. Brasserie Jo is full of brass and glass just like the Parisian and Alsatian models, and has great renditions of brasserie favorites from coq au vin to shellfish towers to steak frites. The place is noisy and the service can be abrupt, but the ambience is lively bonhomie; it's a good place for a family outing. After all, who could resist crepes suzette or the waiter pouring a whole pitcher of molten chocolate over profiteroles. 3. Metro 1815 Massachusetts Ave., Porter Exchange, Cambridge 617-354-3727 A more up-to-date evocation of the brasserie mold, this place can seem all bar crowd and noise. That is, until you taste chef Amanda Lydon's exquisite food. She conveys a delicacy and a respect for traditions that shine in a simple salad or in a cleanly flavored fish dish. And the sweets could tempt anyone, with extravaganzas of chocolate or clouds of ice cream, plus delectable little candies and cookies at the end of the meal. 4. Elephant Walk 900 Beacon, Boston, on the Brookline line 617-247-1500 Coaxing French techniques and complex Asian flavors into beautifully nuanced dishes is what chef and co-owner Nadsa de Monteiro is best at. Although this is one of two Elephant Walks (the other is near Porter Square in Cambridge), this restaurant concentrates more on the French side of the menu with dishes like filet de loup de mer with a lemony seaweed sauce or lamb chops with pasta and wild mushrooms. The restaurant was recently remodeled and has a gleamingly fresh look, just right for a nation 's birthday celebration. 5. Les Zygomates 129 South St., Leather District, Boston 617-542-5108 The name is French for the muscles that create your smile, just what this insouciant little place will do for your mood. Chef-owner Ian Just's food is thoroughly French in the simple bistro style. The wine list, especially the wines by the glass, are extraordinary. Several nights of the week, there's jazz music. Good food, great wine, and music - what could feel more like a night in Paris. 6. Bon Appetit 1138 Blue Hill Ave., Dorchester 617-825-5544 Some Haitians speak French, too; many more a version of it in their native Creole. This neighborhood restaurant decorated in bright pastels serves hearty meals of red fish and plantains, a breakfast porridge of cornmeal must dotted with red beans, and goat or pigs feet stewed in tomato sauce. This all may seem a far cry from Paul Bocuse or the other icons of French cuisine, but remember that the French love to try all kinds of food. They even love pig's feet. 7. Johnny D's Uptown 17 Holland St., Somerville 617-776-2004 Johnny D's is best known as a music and dance club, especially for the regular appearances of Rockin' D opsie and other New Orleans bands. The menu is eclectic but always has Cajun specialities. Shrimp creole, Cajun meatloaf, file gumbo are all dishes that come from that wealth of French cuisine jazzed up in the New World. So if music and the Cajun brand of jazzy spicing appeals to you, Johnny D's could be your Bastille Day stopoff. This story ran on page 2 of the Boston Globe's City Weekly section on 7/14/2002. The two Todds-English and Winer-at Bonfire, Jared Hargreaves of Cuchi Cuchi, Amanda Lydon at Metro, Scott Hebert at Troquet, Lydia Shire at Locke-Ober and others make up an A-list Síne Egan at Pigalle, 75 Charles St. Barbara Lynch at No. 9 Park near the State Capitol Charlie's Sandwich Shoppe, 429 Columbus Ave. three blocks behind the Prudential Center