Better Call Gaul

This is the last Monday of the winter of 2015.

Traditionally known as the unofficial beginning of French-leisure-sport season.

Don’t look that up.

Just pull up a chair at La Gauloise, one of those quintessential veal-wine-and-bar-games French spots, now open in Hudson Square.

What you’ve got here is what you picture when someone says the word “bistro.” The rows of small two-tops lining the walls. The humble varnished surroundings. A menu with circumflexes. But with the addition of a table full of small men on poles playing micro soccer.

What you’re in for is right below this:

Let’s see, there’s this room, with its charming little wine bar and said table.

Which looks like this when you’re closer to table.

Then there’s this room, soon to be enlivened by you and a pre–Film Forum first date.

Frog legs really clean up nice here.

Veal cheek is another meat part available to you.

And the Armagnac-marmalade-topped marrow of bones. They lack the vegetarian gene here.

The big news, though, is that they’ll soon open a grand outdoor space where there’ll be a pétanque (French bocce ball) brunch.

You remember outdoors, right?