Chez Nous at lunch today was full of the hum and buzz of conversation and, in a quiet way, decorated beautifully for the season. Between downpours, we scampered from a convenient parking-space just around the corner from Neches, on Fifth. Anywhere would have been convenient today, because it seems that so many are burning vacation days to go out of town. We’re using free time to stay in town, obviously. Half the people downtown must have found their way to Chez Nous; the other half seemed to be at the Iron Works. We did it all, from soup to salad to main course to dessert to coffee, and were all the better off for it. I hit the jackpot today in the soup department. It was wonderful, savory carrot-ginger, a real star. The tablemate who ordered the seafood crepes hit the jackpot there, too, with salmon, scallops, shrimp, and trout plumping out the crepes on the plate. Fresh, beautifully prepared fish, brought to the table piping hot from the pan, makes people very, very happy. We heard someone at a neighboring table telling one of the owners that, even though they live in Austin, they’d never before dined at Chez Nous. Their recommendation to do so came from a French customs officer who, learning that they’re from Austin, asked what they thought of Chez Nous. He was surprised that they had never dined there; today they were taking his advice that they should. As always, the food and service were just as they should be. Going there for lunch was a very happy inspiration.