A little jewel of a French bistro just a kick-ball change away from New York's theater district is a refreshing choice in this age of celebrity chefs and monthlong waiting lists. Le Madeleine was designed to capture the ambiance of Parisian cafés, a place where friends and family can linger over refined comfort food such as a warm goat cheese salad or a terrine of wild mushrooms. But this enchanting spot could not remain a neighborhood secret for long. It soon drew admirers from a much wider circle, including French nationals, show-biz aspirants, and even honest-to-goodness stars like Al Pacino and Lauren Bacall. Le Madeleine's latest star is in-house-its new chef, Bruce Beaty, who has been at the helm of the charming and venerable spot since last April.

Beaty polished his craft in two of the world's culinary capitals-New York and Paris. His Manhattan credits include Gotham Bar & Grill, Le Bernardin, JAMS, and three years in the role of sous-chef at Solera. In Paris he apprenticed at Michelin two-star Michel Rostang, and La Maison Blanche. Then he spent time in the kitchens of Jean-Pierre Billoux's restaurant in Dijon.

At Le Madeleine, he combines authentic French taste with a very American inclination for comfort and informality, continuing the restaurant's decades-old run of excellent food. "Give yourself time before the curtain goes up to enjoy a tranquil, lazy meal in Le Madeleine's glass-roofed and ivy-walled garden room," Time Out New York wrote in this year's annual Eating and Drinking guide. "It provides the temporary feeling of a weekend jaunt to the country-and not necessarily this country-with traditional, rich French cuisine."

Discover the charms of chef Beaty's foie gras mousse, his curried butternut squash soup, and, naturellement, his madeleines, which are so dense and buttery that they just might inspire you to pen your own masterpiece.