Jackson Heights Life

sixj, from your mouth - to God's ear is all I gotta say.   The new restaurant mantra:  

Well, some place with dark wood furniture, low lighting, cozy booths as well as some larger tables, a bar in the front, and a casual, comfortable, welcoming feel that is not too fancy, but a couple notches above a bar.

and let's not leave out of our night time prayers:
Good beer and wine (microbrews and mid-to-higher priced bottled wine)
Weekend brunch

now I lay me down to sleep, I pray to God for a ...French bistro or something very similar in vibe.... if I die blah blah blah

# 1 on my list would be sure to have good bread. It seems trivial, but it's the first thing you eat, and this usually tells me, that someone really cares about the food.  (Tom Cat in LIC has great bread for restaurants)

Brilliant and true!  Perhaps a universal law of some sorts...
 
When I think about every restaurant I've enjoyed they've all complied with the good bread rule.

Good food at a range of prices (from a $10-12 burger to a $25 rotating special)

I know pretty much nothing about how a restaurant can succeed seeing as how many of them fail, but I've always suspected that one of the things that has made Dumont in Williamsburg so consistently packed (besides great cocktails, delicious food, and the right atmosphere for their neighborhood) is that you could get a burger or mac n'cheese or even a salad with an appetizer along with a glass of wine or a beer and not spend much money, or you could have a three course meal with a cocktail and a bottle of wine and spend a LOT of money despite its casualness.  I'd love something that could similarly span those categories.

Wouldn't be great if you could get steak au poivre, coq au vin, moules du jour, or even escargots in the neighborhood and then walk home. I kind of like the authentic atmosphere at FADA French Bistro in Williamsburg although the seating is very cramped.

Tournesol in LIC would be a good model: http://tournesolnyc.com/

Keep it intimate, keep specials seasonal, have a good to great wine list, maybe a vegetarian option and please please please DO NOT PUT A TV IN THE RESTAURANT!!  I would go often to a place like that.