Our party. From the left: Hank Burchard, Amherst VA; Doug Peel, Newtown Square, PA; Steve and Paulette Zimmermann, Longmont, CO; Nicole Briquelet, a native of France and longtime Paris resident. I have known Nicole since she stayed with my family in Connecticut, when I was six. We have invited her to be our guest for this extraordinary, extravagent meal.

The caned chairs are marvelously comfortable; the lighting is subtly designed to highlight the table setting and the dishes to come, with no glare and without over-bright illumination of the diners in their seats. Apparently, no detail is too small to escape the attention of owner Jean-Claude Vrinat and his well-trained cadre of consummately professional servers, sommeliers and top chefs.