Bites: 2 Restaurants, 2 Former Spouses. The Winner?

Ed Alcock for The New York Times

Alain Billard, left, and Isabelle Crotet Billard, who separated four years ago, recently opened restaurants in Burgundy.

Restaurant openings in the Burgundy region of France, where a mix of beloved Michelin-star recipients and calcified institutions generally reign, aren't an everyday event, so the debut of two spots within a few months of each other might be news enough. But it's their link to the nearly two-decades-old Le Gourmandin — and to each other — that makes their story that much more noteworthy.

Isabelle Crotet Billard, 46, who owns the always-packed spot in the heart of the city of Beaune, hired Alain Billard to be her executive chef when it opened in 1995. They fell in love, married three years later and famously ran Le Gourmandin together, the chic Ms. Crotet Billard managing the crowds while her husband turned out classic cuisine bourguignonne.

Their restaurant was a success, but their romance eventually fell apart. They separated four years ago, and Mr. Billard, now 60, left to start L'Hôtel du Centre in nearby Meursault. Ms. Crotet Billard expanded with L'Auberge Bourguignonne, coincidentally in a Beaune location once owned by Mr. Billard's family, hiring her brother Christopher Crotet to run the kitchen. Mr. Crotet trained under their father, the late Jean Crotet, former chef at the Michelin-starred restaurant at Hostellerie de Levernois. "I've always wanted to work with my brother, but he was working with our father," Ms. Crotet Billard said. "When he passed away, I found an opportunity with Auberge. It's just by chance that Alain's family used to own the building the restaurant is in."

The one-time couple say that there's no bitter rivalry between them, and their restaurants have several similarities: both opened last year, both strive to serve simply prepared local cuisine in a casual ambience and, in an area where rich meat dishes rule, both offer notable seafood options. On a recent visit to the region, I decided to pay each a visit, and found two worthy dining destinations with plenty in common.

L'Auberge Bourguignonne

Ms. Crotet Billard's new spot is in a quiet square in a stone-front former coaching inn that dates from 1861. A large outdoor seating area and warm service make up for the décor in the small dining room, which runs toward uninspired (white tablecloths, wood chairs, a beige carpet).

The meal began with a plate of warm cheese puffs — a hint of tastiness to come. Though the regular menu isn't expansive, a half-dozen or more daily specials add to the selection. Appetizer choices included regional staples like foie gras terrine and escargot in a parsley, butter and garlic sauce — but there were also surprises: a chunky gazpacho with sweet shrimp and garnished with toasted tomato seeds; and a salad that was far from standard, with its fresh herb mixture and combination of cooked and raw in-season vegetables like fava beans and tomatoes.

Mains included sweetbreads with sautéed cepes and Mr. Crotet's rendition of boeuf bourguignon, which resembles a hamburger patty but was as bold with red wine and bacon as the original stew and so tender that the accompanying knife was unnecessary. A fillet of sandre, a local river fish, in a creamy mustard sauce, was equally pleasing.

The several desserts made for a memorable ending. Strawberries in a bed of local yogurt and honey dance with lime zest, and the cakelike chocolate croustillant is dark and dense with a crunchy bottom layer. The wine list of 400 options features mostly Burgundy labels.

L'Auberge Bourguignonne, 4, place Madeleine, Beaune; (33-3) 8022-2353; auberge-bourguignonne.fr. An average meal for two, including an appetizer, main and cheese courses, dessert and a bottle of wine, is 80 euros, $100 at $1.28 to the euro.

L'Hôtel du Centre

When Mr. Billard bought this six-room hotel and restaurant in Meursault, a 15-minute drive from Beaune, the crowds followed and have stayed ever since. The 19th-century brick-front building houses a bar and a quaint dining room; in back is a small courtyard with ivy snaking down the walls and shawls thoughtfully draped over the wood chairs to help ward off the cold on chilly Burgundy evenings.

"People know me from Le Gourmandin and as Isabelle's husband working in the kitchen," Mr. Billard said. "But this is my chance to give myself a name outside of that restaurant and establish myself on my own."

As at L'Auberge Bourguignonne, the service was affable, and the pace of the meal relaxed. A daily changing amuse bouche is the start to every dinner; a recent offering was a pleasurable shot of cauliflower cream soup topped with a small pool of olive oil.

Appetizers of oeufs en meurette, the classic country French dish of eggs poached in a red-wine sauce, and chanterelle mushrooms sautéed with chives, were laden with flavor without being overly heavy. The entree options were richer but worth it: meaty lobster chunks in a cream sauce of peas and fava beans, a succulent and perfectly browned roast chicken for two from a nearby farm, and a fillet of John Dory that glistened with enough salted butter to make Julia Child proud.

Desserts like crème brûlée with vanilla bourbon and a cold soup of mixed fruit sound basic; their taste is anything but. The wine list of 300 is made up mostly of French choices.

Is there a winner in this friendly duel? I would have to say yes: it's the diner.

L'Hôtel du Centre, 4, rue De Lattre de Tassigny, Meursault; (33-3) 8021-2075; hotel-du-centre-meursault.com. An average meal for two including an appetizer, main and cheese courses, dessert and a bottle of Burgundy wine is 100 euros (about $130).