Le French Diner

A sliver of a bistro near the top of Orchard Street, with about twenty seats split between a few tables and the bar, a kitchen barely bigger than a closet, and the wine written up on a chalkboard by region. French hip-hop plays; nobody is in a hurry.

The essential order is the hanger steak under blue cheese and onions with crisp, cheesy potatoes. Add the grilled octopus with aioli, the escargots, or socca de Nice to share. It works best for two, at the bar, with a glass of whatever the chalkboard suggests.