Today at Smith Street's Bastille Day celebration (actually held on July 18, a few days after the official date of July 14), the neighborhood becomes a hotbed of French pride. Truckloads of sand are dumped right onto the street, creating pétanque courts for an international tournament featuring 80 teams. Bar Tabac, along with nearby bistro Robin Des Bois, injects some joie de vivre into the proceedings with live music, street food like merguez, and, of course, pastis cocktails and Lillet.

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