"Lots of French restaurants in Philly work really hard to seem like they were transported straight from Saint Germain. They pack in as much globe lighting, Edith Piaf, and vest-wearing staff as one tin-ceiling dining room can handle, and yet, it still feels like the place is playing dress up. While Queen Village’s Bistrot La Minette has all of these elements, it also has the effortless charm and comforting, consistently good bistro fare that’s so crucial to an authentically French restaurant. It’s not trying to be French. It just is. It’s been around since 2008, but it’s still almost always full of neighborhood regulars and groups of friends. Unlike in most Parisian cafes, La Minette’s tables are spaced comfortably apart, and you’ll find guests lingering over a bottle of wine (or two) and a pungent cheese plate late into the evening. Couples abandon our rigid American norms and share escargot and tarte flambée from— gasp —the same side of the red leather banquettes. Naturally, the rest of the menu is full of French proteins. Frog, rabbit, duck, and fish all make an appearance to a varying degree of success, but the tangy beef tartare and ruby-red seared duck breast are standouts, and the trout meuniere is one of the best in town. But it’s not all tres magnifique —the Parisian gnocchi are disappointingly over-fried, too-tough remnants of what should be custardy goodness. Still, there’s something on the menu for everyone, even if they’re just stopping in for a Bistrot Boulevardier or wine-poached pear. Save it for a night with people you really like. The friendly, efficient servers will never hover, side-eyeing you to wrap it up, so you can spend as long as you like pretending you're dining along the Seine instead of steps from South Street. " - Alison B. Kessler
