Fodor's Expert Review Bistrot La Minette

The cheery atmosphere inside the long, narrow bistro and in the outside courtyard illuminated by candles and twinkling strings of lights exudes warmth and attention to detail, from the flea-market knickknacks picked out by Chef Peter Woolsey and his French wife in Burgundy to the ceramic pitchers of house wine delivered to your table. Woolsey studied at the Cordon Bleu, fell in love with French food, culture, and his wife, a Frenchwoman, and came back to his native Philadelphia to share the bistro experience with his countrymen. The place has quickly become a neighborhood favorite, with regulars swearing by some standouts including the Alsatian-style Flammenkuchen appetizer of caramelized onions, bacon lardoons, and crème fraîche on flatbread; the perfectly simple lemon sole in white-wine butter sauce; and the light and airy beignets that speak to Woolsey's extensive training as a pastry chef.