"Some diners say that the definition of their favorite restaurant is one where they are known. This sentiment captures the remarkable success of Chez Josephine.
Jean-Claude Baker, the irrepressible owner and host, along with his wonderful staff, make all the patrons, new and familiar, feel as if they have come home. Beyond the solid bistro fare and superlative service Chez Josephine exudes - what Jean-Claude calls - "an aura of magic". It might be the extraordinary young piano player who shook my hand in 1987 and introduced himself as Harry Connick Jr.  Or the scores of wonderful jazz singers and musicians who drop in regularly to perform.

The dining room at Chez Josephine is unlike any other in New York. It is a confluence of the famous and fashionable, the infamous and the unsung - with every shade of skin on earth - and indeed you feel the "magic" of Chez Josephine".

 

Bryan Miller
Author and Food Critic
1996