If it makes y'all feel any better, I was there sometime last month on a miserable rainy Friday night, and the place was packed. We had no reservations, but got the last available table. (Our discussion beforehand, by the way, sounded very similar to the one going on here: "What about Tartine?" "Oh, let's go there. They never seem to be busy: I'm afraid they'll close.") I don't remember everything about the food, but I know we had the lentil salad, the pate, and a beef stew of some sort, and all were quite lovely. The service was great, and I love the atmosphere. I have no idea what an authentic French bistro is like, but if that's it, then sign me up. We BYO'd, and our bill for two was $60, which I consider a very good deal.
