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A neighborhood treasure, Loulou serves refined French food in a rustic room weathered just the right amount. Dark wood lines the hearty plaster walls, and earthy tables wait to soak up any sloshing wine. There’s delicacy in the house sensibility, though, both in the atmosphere and on the menu. Staples like steak frites (savor the golden fries!) deliver on their promise of comfort, and several fish dishes make good on the lighter side.  Key appetizers include a complex, creamy bouillabaisse and scallops served with thick slabs of mushroom and a vermouth cream sauce. Less dressed up but still handsome are the East Coast oysters of the day and a rotating cast of grilled whole fish—ideal for dining in the garden, whose fertile plants and homey fence suggest someone’s backyard more than an eatery’s outpost. — Andy Battaglia

Thursday nights offer a real steal—2-for-1 entrees.

Steak frites, $20