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This venue is closed.

A chicken. A cast-iron pot. A prostitute. Most nights, you’ll find two out of three definitions of cocotte in play at this French-American bistro. Yet while the name suggests a multiplicity of meanings, the restaurant does best when keeping things simple. For the décor, that translates as raw brick, exposed beams, and subdued paintings. (The use of old album covers for menu holders proves more awkward than endearing.) For the meal, unfussy appetizers like sardines with broccoli rabe or a French onion soup topped with superstringy Emmenthaler cheese achieve their effects without a lot of razzle-dazzle. Although the Flatiron steak continues the back-to-basics mood, the namesake chicken (served au jus) is so bland that you’ll be forced to play chef yourself with the salt and pepper shakers. Perhaps a little sense of adventure is in order after all, via the mustard-braised pork shank with sweet potatoes and Asian pears. Notorious for slow service, Cocotte has the compensatory decency and ecopolitical savvy to reflect neighborhood penchants for seasonal ingredients, grass-fed beef, and free-range poultry. — Drew Pisarra

Sat.–Sun., 11 a.m.–3 p.m.

Specials
On Sundays, there's no corkage fee for BYOB; on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, there's a $18 three-course prix fixe; on Thursdays, there's a buy-one-entrée-get-another-free deal; and on Fridays, children dine free from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.