DESPITE THE RECENT, sudden departure of co-owner and co-chef David McMillan, Joe Beef ’s personality remains oversized and intoxicating. Thanks to the remaining founding partners, Fred Morin and Allison Cunningham, this institution has emerged from the pandemic intact. The takeout program is gone, but the exuberant joie de vivre is back, courtesy of the bar, 40-seat backyard patio and the quality bric-a-brac décor, a nod to the antique shops that, for decades, lined the local street. The unpretentious old-school cuisine is, above all else, Lyonnais (“but with a Boston oyster bar and a Berkeley, California, garden,” adds Morin). The menu is hearty and luxurious. Think foie gras “Tatin,” frogs’ legs and pâté in local pottery with glazed duck-head lids. With nightly servings of the signature lobster spaghetti (enriched with lardons and brandy-infused cream) currently limited, you might want to opt for an earlier reservation.Photography by: Matthew Perrin