Tournesol

Convivial and convincingly French, with charming waiters and a multilingual crowd, this Long Island City bistro is snappily run and perpetually packed. The food’s good, too, and just offbeat enough to keep things interesting. There’s steak-frites and onion soup, of course, but also cheesy tartiflette (an occasional special), and a mysterious affinity for un-Gallic garnishes like pineapple. Unlike many of its Manhattan brethren, Tournesol has managed to avoid the dreaded price creep — a boon for the neighborhood and romantic skinflints everywhere.