La Voile, Brookline

Picture it: a little restaurant perched on the port of Cannes. Named La Voile au Vent—"A Sail in the Wind"—the eatery naturally attracted the attention of a certain American sailor, who struck up a friendship with the owners over a winter's worth of red wine. Soon enough, he'd convinced them that New England was sorely in need of French cuisine, and La Voile lost the Vent and moved across the ocean. Fittingly, the restaurant retains its nautical theme, even as far inland as Brookline.

It may have given up its beachy Cannes surroundings, but virtually everything else about La Voile Brookline has remained the same, right down to the French chef, maitre d', and bartender. Together, the staff has created the most authentic French menu to be found in the Boston area (outside of the original restaurant on Newbury Street). The a la carte menu features such delicacies as l'agneau with Provençale ratatouille and pan-seared ribeye with peppercorn sauce, but a recommendation would be remiss if it failed to indicate the Taste of France prix fixe dinner, which serves three courses of the best France has to offer.