Boucherie Roulière

I have eaten in a lot of dining rooms that try this hard. Boucherie Roulière is one of the few that pulls it off without looking like it is trying.

The room is exactly what you want it to be: Saint-Germain corner bistro, butcher up front. We were seated near the back, given menus we hardly needed, and brought a small bowl of olives without being asked.

We started with bone marrow with a small salad of capers and parsley, which set the tone — generous, unfussy, and confident enough not to crowd what was coming. With it we ordered a heavy California zinfandel, no apologies, and were glad of both.

Then the main event: côte de boeuf for two, the dish that puts Boucherie Roulière on every short list. It was, frankly, the best version of this cut I have had this year. The signature touch — the bone-in côte, charred and rested long — is not a gimmick; it is the reason to come.

For sides we asked for buttered haricots verts and fried okra and a dab of remoulade. Both arrived hot, both arrived early, both were exactly large enough to overdo it. We overdid it.

Dessert was tiramisu, just barely too much, mostly because the waiter raised an eyebrow when we hesitated. He was right to.

It is not cheap. It is, in this case, worth it.