The shuttered Il Portico is nearly visible from former GM Patrick Saurette’s new restaurant. However, The Marc describes its fare in French and emphasizes exquisitely-prepared meat, vegetables and sauces over plentiful pasta.

I went for the working man’s lunch: “steak frites” ($17). It boasted a hefty steak under a melting pat of foie gras butter and a mass of fries next to aioli stronger than Everclear. I figured that if the French don’t mind the extra calories, neither would I!

I sipped at my glass of mild, tasty Mandolin pinot noir. I was unwilling to walk away without sampling a tart of eggs whipped with sugar and lemon. How it could have produced the sweet, tangy delight that graced my tongue I will never know, but I was thoroughly delighted as I stumbled out into the afternoon sun.

Don’t cry over a shuttered Il Portico: When one door closes, a window opens somewhere else… sometimes as close as a block away.