Zagat's has spoken and Le Petit Café is on its tongue – and taste buds.

On Oct. 25, the nation's premiere restaurant guidebook publisher distinguished Le Petit Café as one of the top 30 restaurants in America. The elite fraternity of top eateries each scored a near-perfect 29 out of 30 for food on the annual Zagat Survey.

The score of 29 also makes this little Branford bistro with the big reputation Connecticut's top restaurant for food, as rated by Zagat's.

Considering most restaurants on the national top 30 list are situated in savvy cities (New York, Miami, Atlanta, Boston, Washington D.C., San Diego, San Francisco and Los Angeles); chef-owner Roy Ip is delighted to help shine a national spotlight on Branford with this latest honor for Le Petit Café.

"We are thrilled. It's a very amazing, very good thing being recognized and good for the town, too. In this business, there are a couple of publications that are kind of critical, like the New York Times and especially Zagat. It's like the Bible of this business," said Ip.

A cornerstone restaurant on the Branford green which Ip has maintained since 1997, Le Petit Café has been no stranger to praise from New York Times restaurant reviewers or the many dedicated foodies populating the annual Zagat Survey. The charming, 50-seat French-style restaurant on Montowese Street has long earned rave reviews for its amazing weekly menu selections for a four-course, prix fixe dinner prepared by Ip.

"Consistency is very important – it's the key to success," says Ip, who uses all-natural and organic ingredients; prepared expertly yet simply, to delight of appreciative patrons.

For the full story, see the Nov. 10 issue of The Sound and go to zip06.com.