Tartine

Brittany-born owner Thierry Rochard’s prototypical Gallic café still draws lines after 18 years. The inevitable wait and tight space are worth enduring for the crisp, salty frites; the BYOB policy with no corkage fee adds to the bohemian allure. Staples like an earthy steak au poivre and cheesy, decadent croque-monsieur dominate the short menu. An entrée of “spicy chicken” smothered in a white wine sauce deviates from the Franco format, but the tude from the couldn’t-be-bothered servers doesn’t.