Le Gourmand Restaurant   

The SceneMaster Chef Bruce Naftaly's labor of love has proven enduringly timeless: Since 1985, this tidy French restaurant's unassuming sweetness, expert service and divine culinary precision have held diners captive. Delicate wall murals create a wonderfully light feeling that belies the building's slightly forbidding exterior. The FoodNaftaly's fastidious use of local, seasonal produce translates into a touch of revelation within each dish: A twinge of basil in the peach sauce adorning the young rabbit loin; local Merlot pressings that urge the beef tenderloin sauce to greater depths. Appetizers are just as ambitious--especially the smooth rabbit-liver pate or the sole-and-shrimp mousseline. Despite the considerable fuss, Naftaly's art comes across as down-to-earth and approachable.