Chez Nous has been a favorite since it first opened, in a building with no air-conditioning at the time and in which other dining establishments had failed in short order. Chez Nous has been an never-failing oasis of civilized dining at fair prices. What’s more, at lunch-time, it’s always been possible to dine well and unhurriedly and within an hour.

Downtown was hopping this noon with those attending a convention of real-estate agents. Perhaps that accounted for the mysterious and extended delay between the first course and those following. The apologies were profuse and the espresso and other coffee orders were comped to make up for this first-ever roughness in the flow of service.

And the food was, as ever, delicious. I was so glad that I ordered the gazpacho, very chilled and very fresh and refreshing and very piquantly tasty. I’d order it again just like that. When at last they arrived, the seafood crepes were a delight and the fish was fresh and piping hot from the pan, as always. The chocolate mousse was the unanimous choice and one, again as always, that made us happy. The delay kept us from hitting our under-an-hour mark, extending it for fifteen or so extra minutes longer than the usual, the first experience of this sort in the quarter of a century that we’ve been thanking Chez Nous for existing. So it was a fairly quick lunch, just not so quick as usual, although just as good.