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Chez Brigitte is the kind of quirky, legendary joint you want to love. The regulars, long-term local residents or East European émigrés, come nightly to grab take-out or claim one of the eleven stools in the walk-in-closet–sized space. "No mushrooms tonight" means omelette, and "Please put gravy on those potatoes" means veal stew. More lunch counter than French bistro, Chez Brigitte opened in 1958 by Marseille native Brigitte Catapano, who for years cooked homey renditions of Boeuf Bourguignon. Brigitte died in 1994. Her successor Mrs. Santos kept the dream alive for a while, although increasingly the dishes have lost their French flair. The French names survive—Poulet Roti, Ragout de Veau, Cotes de Veau. But the scent of wine is absent in the beef stew now, the red color derived instead from tomato. Still, it's hard to beat the value—entrees come with roasted potatoes, yellow rice, macaroni, mushy gray-green peas, and a crisp green salad. You'll be satiated, even if you leave half the meal on your plate. — Nancy Davidson

Cremè caramel, $3.50