Apparently the owner runs a successful and long-established catering business out of the kitchen in the rear, and the front of house is not critical to the balance sheet; nevertheless, based on the amount of effort spent fitting out the dining space, it seems clear what the owner's intentions are.

EL--you might want to proofread that last paragraph one more time ...

Thanks. Fixed. EL

This makes a terrific amount of sense.

The lifeblood of the small place is the neighborhood trade and for that you don't need much more than to a) be open and b) not disappoint.

I wish them well.

I ate at Marie Louise Bistro last weekend. You can read my review on my blog at http://dwhren.livejournal.com/221532.html

We've gotten a lot of breakfasts from the catering business through our sales reps. If the restaurant is as good as the catering, you are in for a delightful meal.

Danielle -- FYI, Gampy's (full name The Great American Melting Pot) was a well-known establishment in the 1980s, known (among other things) for late hours and an eclectic crowd.

hmpstd: Thank you for the compliment! I used to hang (Okay, maybe go there once in a while ...) at Gampy's in the 80's, and eclectic is a high honor in my book!

I ran with a theater crowd for awhile a few decades ago (don't tell my mother, she thinks I work in a bordello), and Gampy's was a very popular late-night hangout.

My wife and I ate at Marie Louise Bistro a few weekends ago. I used to spend many happy late hours at Gampy's after dancing at the Hippo in the mid-1990s. It was fun to describe to my wife how Gampy's was laid out back in the day.
We had brunch and the food was pretty good. My wife had the squash omelette and I had eggs. But mostly, it brought back how much I've missed Gampy's over the years.

I loved Gampy's, partly for the food, and partly to "people watch." My faves were the Monte Cristo sandwich or individual Beef Wellington. I wish the new place success.

I've had dinner there twice. The food was pretty darned good, though not as good as the late (most deeply lamented) Limoges Gourmet Bistro. Maybe I've not tried the right things yet....

Generally speaking, if there's something on the menu that I've not tried before, THAT's what I want.... Nothing like that here, but there is a good clear selection of standard French Bistro food.

There is a decent wine list, with some red wines that I didn't recognize. The waitress was knowledgable and, when I wasn't able to decide amongst some of the wines listed for sale by the glass, the she very kindly offered to give me a little taste of each of the four I was most interested in for the same price (and volume) as a glass.

I'm looking forward to my next visit.