Three elements of a successful first date: A little romance, a little booze, and something to talk about. You’ll find all three at Chez Simone, hidden away above Piedmont Yoga. The restaurant’s second-floor patio is swathed in wisteria vines and tiny Christmas lights, and inside diners sit at cafe tables with faded tablecloths. It’s so friggin’ cute that we’ve seen first-timers gasp when they walked through the doors. Simone Herault is just as French as she was the day she opened her restaurant almost thirty years ago. Her menu of crepes, quiches, entrées like coq au vin, and chocolate mousse is a safe bet for meat-and-potatoes eaters, but in such surroundings they still taste exotic. Herault, a mothering presence, bustles about her place murmuring to herself in Franglish. One warning: she recognizes her regulars. Take too many first dates there, and she may inadvertently expose your wanton ways.
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