Quaint Yet Elegant - Le Bonaparte Excels

Le Bonaparte, South 216th Street and Marine View Drive. 878-4412. All major credit cards accepted. No personal checks. Smoking section. Open for dinner seven days a week from 5 p.m. Last seating is at 9:30 p.m. Lunch is served from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday. Sunday brunch is from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Takeout is available, though not encouraged. ---------------------------------------------------------------

From the moment I stepped inside the elegant yet quaint home setting of Le Bonaparte, I knew I was going to enjoy my evening.

The restaurant, tucked away in a corner just off Marine View Drive in Des Moines, exudes an ambience so inviting it is virtually impossible to avoid becoming caught up in it.

The enticing surroundings are the doing of owner Jacques Mason, who set out 15 years ago to create a first-class yet "unstuffy" French restaurant that would keep patrons coming back.

It starts with the warm greeting you receive when you walk through the door and continues with a formally dressed waiter asking if he might take your coat for you.

The white linen tablecloths, fresh-cut flowers and real candles (not oil lamps) that grace every table all follow the French native's plan. A crackling fireplace and soft background music make the atmosphere complete.

For an especially private and romantic experience, visit Le Bonaparte on a weekday evening. A friend and I chose a Wednesday night and had the entire wait-staff to ourselves.

Our waiter told us traffic is largely unpredictable and changes dramatically evening to evening. Because of this, reservations are recommended. This holds especially true on weekends, when the sprawling two-level dining area is said to be packed.

Even if you don't plan on having wine with your dinner, ask to see the wine list. With 245 wines to choose from, it makes an interesting and educational way to pass the time until your food arrives.

The menu is filled with exotic dishes - such as sliced veal kidney and boneless duckling - with prices to match. Dinners range from about $15 to $22 and can go up in price depending on substitutions subtly suggested by a seasoned waiter well-schooled in the "sell up" technique.

I ordered the La Poitrine de Volaille "Polignac": chicken breast, mushroom duxelle with cream, cognac and truffles sauce, which was priced at $16.75. I fell for our waiter's suggestion to try the lobster sauce with shrimp in exchange for the cognac and a few minutes later was informed of the "new" price of the meal, about $2 more.

Because of some confusion on the part of the cook, I ended up with both sauces. Each was incredible. The chicken was tender and almost melted in my mouth. The steamed vegetables that accompanied it were crisp and delicious.

I had a taste of the white perch in light cream sauce that my friend ordered. It also was prepared to perfection.

Don't follow my mistake and devour too much of the warm, tantalizing French bread they bring out at the beginning of your meal. You'll be too full to try the dessert list, which includes chocolate mousse, fresh strawberries, sherbet and a variety of French pastries.

Though French food has a reputation for being rich and loaded with calories, people watching their weight shouldn't fear Le Bonaparte.

Over the past 14 years, Mason has worked closely with his dairy supplier to reduce the amount of fat in his creams and sauces by 75 percent. Your taste buds won't be able to tell the difference. Mason says he compensates for the fat by using only the freshest ingredients.

If you're on a tight budget, visit Le Bonaparte for lunch. Prices are much more reasonable, ranging from $1.95 for the soup of the day to $7.75 for poached salmon. Mason, who in addition to running Le Bonaparte acts as head chef, offers his lunch menu so no one will be excluded from visiting his restaurant.

Because he wants his visitors to be comfortable, Mason requires no dress code. He is quick to point out to parents who call regarding their children's attire that designer jeans can be more expensive than a three-piece suit anyway.

Just in case you're wondering: Mason is not a "Napoleon freak." Neither is he some big military buff, though he'll tell you about the time he served in the French army.

He just wanted to give his restaurant a name that would attract the attention of Northwesterners. Mason figured the late French emperor, at least for the time being, is more of a household name than he is.

Restaurant reviews are a regular Thursday feature of the South County Life section. Reviewers visit restaurants unannounced and pay in full for all their meals. When they interview members of the restaurant management and staff, they do so only after the meals and services have been appraised.