The book featured a French cafe run by a husband and wife (with help from the young narrator) in a small town in France. The cafe was of amazing quality but had few patrons. The owner spent a lot on special, colorful plates and nice little planters at the door. Finally one day a famous person (maybe a restaurant critic) serendipitously arrived when the restaurant was about to fail for lack of customers. The owners used their amazing cooking skills and tasteful presentations to provide a simple and perfect meal of a freshly caught fish and some vegetables. The critic was blown away and the restaurant was saved.