Food

Cafe Parisien Express

A speedy spot for beef bourguignon, coq au vin, and really good croissants.

From June 2005 Cheap Eats

For years Lydie and Yannis Stefanopoulos have run their modest establishment with a high level of professionalism. Lydie is French and learned her craft cooking for her family. Yannis is Greek and learned his craft working at the Mayflower Hotel and elsewhere. The decor is mostly French posters. The plates and flatware are plastic. Service consists of placing your order at a counter and having the food brought to you or getting a buzz summoning you back to the counter. Everything is house-made, except for the cheesecake.

The menu is heavy on sandwiches, salads, quiches, and crepes. A meal of onion soup and a quiche or a sandwich costs barely $10. Escargots are served embedded in slices of baguette for $6.45. The menu lists steak frites, a seven-ounce sirloin with French fries, for $12.45. For main courses consult the blackboard. You'll always find a fresh fish of the day as well as such dishes as beef bourguignon, roast chicken, and coq au vin, and possibly something more elaborate. Fine desserts include crepes and a cake and a tart du jour. Most of the wines are $18 a bottle; the reds are likely too warm, but the staff will cool them.