Rendez-Vous Bakery & Bistro

Imagine Denny's gone Bohemian and serving classic French bistro fare for breakfast, lunch, and dinner: merguez sausage sandwich with harissa, half rotisserie chickens, sautéed grouper with pesto, Croque Monsieur, eggs dipped in mushroom sauce, quiches filled with onion jam, ham and cheese crepes draped in béchamel. The prices at Rendez-Vous are beyond reasonable for a place that has duck confit, braised lamb shank, and fish soup with rouille on its menu. Mussels marinière served with a pile of crisp, salty fries alongside are a working girl's favorite dinner; steak with bordelaise sauce and mashed potatoes rocks. Fresh-baked breads, croissants, sweet rolls, and pastries are made at a second location in Aventura and shipped up to Lauderdale: croissants au beurre, apricot tarts, napoleons, and Paris-Brest pastries. Service is French-accented, efficient, and utterly charming.