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The winds of change seem to whistle right by this place, leaving it utterly unruffled. The restaurant was a star in the late 1960s, the Craig Claiborne era; now its patrons, most closer to Social Security than not, value it for its timelessness. The spirit of the house, owner Robert Treboux, circulates through the dining room to exchange quips with regulars or bring a small plate of cookies for a group to share with their espressos. On the walls hang black-and-white photos of the old Les Halles market in Paris and a painting of a calf carefully tucked into bed. There’s an abiding simplicity to the cooking, with evergreen dishes like coq au vin and boeuf bourguignon (beef stew). The namesake veal is one of the best entrees, served as a lemony Escalope de Veau (scallopini). Accompanying vegetables, like boiled potatoes and carrots, are severe. Not everything succeeds—the asparagus soup tastes far more like cream than asparagus—but the seasoned service and unhurried pace shouldn’t be undervalued. In a telltale moment during a recent visit, the usual Edith Piaf background music switched to the contemporary crooning of Carla Bruni. One party quickly asked that it be changed back to the Little Sparrow. — Jennifer Paull

Escalope de veau (veal scallopini), $44