If you are walking up the Carrefour de l’Odéon at about 11:45 AM stop and join the line in front of Le Comptoir. At precisely noon you will be ushered to a table and served a classic Paris bistro meal at correct prices while you observe the latecomers lining up for the second sitting.

In the heyday of les années folles you might have discovered Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Picasso, Man Ray, Fujita, or the irrepressible Kiki at the bar, or, on the terrace. And today, Terrance, M, Martin Walker, and Tiffany Hofstetter, discussing politics, art, theatre, literature-ah well, the gamut of culture. We had just seen a a great play at the Lucernaire, on the life of the acerbic critic and author Dorothy Parker, and perhaps inspired by her ever present bottle of Jack Daniels, M and I trotted around the corner to Select for a drink.

Imagine a camera narrowly focusing on an image and then opening up onto a wide-screen panorama and you will have approximated the feeling when you enter Alcazar. This enormous ground floor dining room and wrap around mezzanine has been a fixture in the neighborhood for twenty years, and the just completed renovation with cozy banquettes and plants, has made this grand space warmer and more inviting.

New Chef Fabrice Giraud has cooked in some of the finest kitchens in France, among them the Chantecler du Negresco Nice, La Grande Cascade and next to Alain Ducasse in Monaco.We chose the tasting menu to experience the full scope of his talents.

Chef Alberico Penati’s resumé includes some of the world’s finest restaurants in London , Paris and grand-luxe hotels in Italy, including the Villa d’Este in Como and the Excelsior in Venice but he was keen to re-establish his presence and his cuisine in Paris and so, in collaboration with his friend and associate, Venetian businessman Pier Silli – founder of the Carpaccio at Royal Monceau – he returned early in 2014, opening Penati al Baretto. A mere six months after his arrival at Penati al Baretto, Chef Alberico Penati has earned a Michelin star.

My last visit to Bouillon Chartier, the always jam-packed Paris institution that bubbles with energy and good cheer was in 1995. Happy to report still decent food at ridiculous prices. Today’s visit was prompted by my friend and reader, Angela Bellante, who was in town and celebrating her Steinway birthday-she has as many years as Steinway has keys. After a complimentary kir royal we scanned the extensive menu of classic bistro dishes and ordered a bottle of Klipfel riesling.

After enjoying one of the finest preparations of blanquette de veau that I have ever savored, I hereby dub this elegant bistro, The House of Blanquette de Veau.