There aren’t a lot of culinary bells and whistles on the menu at L'Academie. Which is just fine, as this longtime Plateau fixture has proved itself as the 'affordable eatery,' dishing out French-Italian fare since 1984.

A fire gutted the place in 1999, and now that it's been completely rebuilt, they have plenty of room to shine as a new entity. Visually, L'Academie is still the plain, semi-awkward spot it has always been, with tables close together and hard to walk between. But with some Provence touches that give the restaurant a kind of summerhouse feel, and the earnest servers negotiate the tight space with patient grace. It's large, though, with three separate floors and a three hundred capacity.

L'Academie has reinvented itself as the place to go for mussels and inexpensive fare. Mussels are prepared at least six different ways. Order a side of crisp, hot, salty frites and you've got the perfect meal. The menu also includes interesting Mains, showing a similar commitment to the primary ingredient. Fare that range from par-average seafood dishes and steaks may not excite, perhaps, but L'Academie doesn't hurt the wallet either. The biggest surprise was the Coquille St. Jacques - scallops sautéed in wine and butter, ladled with a creamy Swiss cheese sauce and sprinkled with a crisp Parmesan topping. - S.W.