A reader needed a recommendation: Where in Bethesda could he find good food, good wine and some peace and quiet for a reunion with a friend? I pointed him to Bistro Provence, home since 2010 to one of Washington’s august chefs, Yannick Cam. His yellow, ground-floor dining room, seemingly blooming with flowers and illuminated by handsome old chandeliers, is an easy place to unwind. Bread is brought out without your having to ask (or wonder), and a white cloth, so rare anymore, covers the table. The old-school details pave the way for a meal that revels in French tradition rather than fireworks.

Escargots arrive in a ragout of eggplant puree, crisp julienne trumpet mushrooms, and a suggestion of bacon and cumin. Caramelized Maine scallops, a recent special capped with buttery chanterelles, are silken and sweet. If you buy good ingredients, as Cam does, no need to mask them. So the mighty veal chop is minimally accessorized with bright green sliced Brussels sprouts that even cabbage haters finish and a light but heady sauce that Cam says takes half a day from start to finish. (Suffice it to say, lots of bones get roasted, three kinds of meat and wild mushrooms are involved, and wine and stock are gently reduced.)

My standard-bearer for duck confit is at Bistro Provence. The shatter of skin and the richness of thyme-scented duck is swoon-worthy, and what’s not to love about the accompanying fried potatoes and onions? If you want a taste of where Cam has been before, order the lobster purses, a frequent special and a staple of his late Le Pavillon in Washington. The gingery seafood dumplings are exquisite.

In a visit over summer, I was surprised to find the Breton native cooking solo in his open kitchen, framed with china and copper pots. This month, I spotted a No. 2 helping him out, his former sous chef Ross Gold. The bigger wonder is Cam’s longevity: The 75-year-old chef tells me he has been cooking 60 years now. What’s your secret, sir? “I have a passion for the kitchen, and when you have passion, you don’t get tired,” says Cam, whose practice, and exacting standards, make pretty perfect.

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