“Like Mom’s cooking. Nothing fancy. Traditional provençale,” says Simon Yaacobi, owner of the three-month-old Rendezvous Bistro. Another bistro pushed through a Chicago lens, I thought, until I tasted RB’s poulet rôti. Crispy skinned and redolent of rosemary, it was juicy through and through—even the white meat. The braised cabbage was almost caramelized, and the frites were still fab the next day right out of the fridge. Yaacobi has set his prices at an inviting level and says the neighborhood likes BYO, so he’s doing that, too. This charmer on the western edge of Lincoln Square—dolled up with French posters and mismatched chandeliers—is the real deal. C’est vrai. 2656 W. Lawrence Ave.; 773-728-0628.