On those rare occasions when I have a work-free moment coupled with an opportunity to treat myself right, Le Pichet is the object of my desire. Crowded yet intimate, this tiny Pike Place Market-area hangout has a menu that's short, simple and very French. Named for the small, earthenware pitchers filled with wines from an intriguing and inexpensive list, Le Pichet is where I'm emotionally transported to when I pray, "Calgon! Take me away!" With a glass of country wine and a plate brimming with charcuterie before me, I'm living my idea of la vie en rose right here.

Sure, the party-like atmosphere is part of the charm (I've never once shown up without running into a food-focused crony or three). But it's the perfect combination of mood and food that makes this place — with its well-stocked rolled-zinc bar and slate tabletops — the star of my lavender-scented dreams. For that, I kiss the ground that owners Jim Drohman and Joanne Herron walk on. Drohman cooks, Herron tends the front of the house, and it's a laudable labor of love: They labor, I love it.

Jim Drohman and Joanne Herron create the perfect combination of party mood and homey food at Le Pichet.

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