In France, Bastille Day is marked more by grand balls, parades, street parties, tournaments and drinking than it is by the elaborate preparation of a special meal. In fact, just as with America's celebration of Independence Day, the most common staple of the French diet on the 14th of July is "le hot dog."

But that's not the case in New York, where French chefs and Francophiles around the city are conceiving creative menus to mark the end of the monarchy and the start of the Revolution. Actually, we have the 1789 storming of the Bastille to thank for the spread of fine French cooking throughout the world. The day was seminal in culinary history because the skilled chefs who fed the aristocracy fled the country and began setting up in restaurants of their own.

And voila! This year in New York, the warm and wonderfully rustic restaurant Provence is shutting down MacDougal Street in Greenwich Village for a petanque tournament and tables of finger food (but no hot dogs ). Florent, a flamboyant bistro in the meatpacking district, is hosting a festive street party with live music and a burlesque can-can show. The evening will culminate in a fashion contest in which de signers like Betsey Johnson and Oscar de la Renta will present their outrageous ideas of what Marie Antoinette would be wearing today. The winning contestant will be awarded a gold guillotine decorated with fake jewels. But the fun is not made with o nly frivolous aristocrats in mind: money from the event will be donated to Housing Works, a charity for the homeless.

Taking the high-end road is Jean-Francois Fraysse of La Lunchonette, a stylish culinary gem in Chelsea. Fraysse will entertain a dinner party for 100 on a 1907 luxury steamboat anchored nearby at Pier 25 (reservations still available), kicking off cocktail hour with his own version of French sangria, made with red wine, plum brandy and cinnamon. The $65 prix fixe feast will include foie gras, gravlax, lobster, lamb, wild mushroom pasta and tarte tatin.

Definitely not what impoverished French peasants ate after the bloody Revolution.

French Roast, a casual 24-hour bistro, is taking a more whimsical approach, commemorating heads and headlessness to toast the holiday. The affordable-for-la-toute-bourgeoisie $18 prix fixe menu featu res fried white bait (avec heads), grilled calamari (sans heads), steamed artichoke heads, whole grilled fish (avec heads), and tete de veau (the ultimate beheading).

Someone who has mixed feelings about celebrating the horror of the Revolution and its problematic aftermath is Chef Thierry Haxiare of L'Express, a new 24-hour Lyonnaise-style bouchon. "It's good that we changed things but it was extremely difficult for the people" He allows, "I guess you have to break eggs to make an omelet." Eggs will be broken at L'Express on Bastille Day for a "tribute" omelet of sweet peas and cheddar cheese. The inclusion of sweet peas are a nod to the Italians, he says, "because they revolutionized French cuisine by bringing in eclectic produce via Catherine de Medici and her chefs. And cheddar cheese is a tribute to your American heritage." His night-time menu is centered around lamb "Charlotte," named for the infamous Charlotte De Corday who murdered Marat in his bathtub.

So, celebrate Bastille Day with "le hot dog," if you will. Or, take the French-loving New York route and create a feast with these recipes from Chef Thierry Haxiare.

BASTILLE SALAD
(serves 6)

• 1 ripe cantaloupe, sliced in chunks
• 6 slices prosciutto (julienned)
• 1 head romaine

Vinaigrette of 1/2 olive oil, 1/2 canola oil, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper.

Toss together and serve in a large bowl.

TRIPE A L'ANCIENNE

• 1 lb. per person of honeycomb beef or pork tripe, cut in big chunks
• 2 onions
• 3 carrots
• 6 cloves garlic
• 5 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 quarts dry white wine
• Bouquet garni (thyme, parsley, bay leaf)
• Salt & pepper to taste

Put all ingredients together in a large pot. Bring to a boil and simmer, with the top on, for about 3 hours--or until a piece of tripe can be cut with the opposite side of a knife.

Serve with boiled potatoes and chopped parsley. Note: Tripe shrinks a lot so 1 lb. per person is necessary.

CHARLOTTE D'AGNEAU "DE CORDAY"
(serves 6)

• 6 ringed metal pans, 6 inches wide, 2 inches tall
• 1 lamb shoulder
• 3 tomatoes
• 2 Japanese eggplants, sliced and grilled
• 2 zucchini, sliced and grilled
• 2 carrots
• 2 red onions
• 1 celery stalk
• 6 cloves garlic
• 1 bunch fresh basil
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• Bouquet garni (thyme, parsley, bay leaf)
• Salt & pepper to taste

Saute the lamb in a bit of butter or oil to give it a good color. Add sliced carrots, one onion, celery, garlic and bouquet garni and saute together for a few minutes. Add tomato paste. Deglaze with water and cover the meat. Simmer for about 1 hour or until the meat starts to fall off the bone. Let cool.

Slice thin medallions of meat and arrange them in pans. Alternate the meat with grilled eggplant, zucchini, fresh tomato, onion and finely chopped basil, all the way up to the top. Add some of the stock and close with aluminum foil. Bake 30 minutes in bain-marie in 350 degree F oven.