Gourmands and wine connoisseurs know it well. But the odds are high that most people motoring down industrial Miramar Road will never sniff out Aux Delices on their own.

A bistro and wine store in one, the establishment takes on an air of exclusivity because of its improbable location and bounteous collection of labels that result in a lot of wine babble on any given day. From the nose to palate, people here attach adjectives to wines in ways that a lot of us average folk don’t get. Using words such as “grassy,” “burnt wood” and “raisin-like” will perhaps qualify you into the league of aesthetes. But say “smooth,” “fruity” or “bitter” and the wait staff will instinctively discuss the day’s wine bar choices with you in pure layman’s lingo.

Wine dunces need not fear. Snobbery is kept at a faraway distance in this quiet and relaxed atmosphere, which was launched a few years back by wine collector and former Top of the Cove owner John Lindsey. And the food entrees (though lonesome when they aren’t paired with you-know-what) will delight diners with their pungent cheeses and rustic flavors.

A visitor from Europe, for instance, would feel right at home with the Foie Gras Napoleon and Smoked Norwegian Salmon that we ordered as appetizers. The fat from the goose liver seeped into the accompanying baby asparagus nicely. And the salmon was cool and ultra-fresh. A bowl of Clam Chowder, however, befuddled my native New England dinner companion with its heavy dose of Gruyere cheese. Though good, the chowder sported a fondue-like essence; the clams and potatoes in it were merely incidentals.

The Aux Delices Salad is France’s answer to a Caesar with shavings of emmenthal cheese, feta croutons and a creamy champagne vinaigrette. The emmenthal also adds savor to the house French Onion soup, a non-salty, sweet broth that I’ve eagerly licked up in past visits. And thanks to my companion’s broad knowledge of wine, we ended up with two different Chardonnays from the Batard-Montrachet region of France that aligned fantastically with our starter courses.

Moving to some expensive reds in the form of 2-ounce pours, our efficient waiter brushed away our table crumbs in preparation for the main event. My companion’s Roasted New Zealand Rack of Lamb was presented with a hefty dollop of warm, double-cream Saint Agur cheese that carried more personality than the nondescript sauce applied to the lip of the plate. The meat, nonetheless, was luscious – five chops with their bones uniformly exposed for easy handling.

A subtle-flavored Country French Stroganoff defied France’s approach to petite portion control. The dish featured a mound of egg fettuccine strewn liberally with cubed beef eye round and sautéed mushrooms. Compared to the bastardized Russian recipe we’ve all come to know, the sour-cream sauce took a backstage role, deferring instead to the pithy flavor of the meat.

Aux Delices, which in French means “very delicious,” fits the bill when you consider the kitchen’s penchant for melding European-bourgeois cuisine with vestiges of American-continental influence. The lunch menu, for example, offers an Aged Vermont Cheddar Burger, a Smoked Salmon Wrap and Philly Steak Sandwich on baguette – all geared perhaps for foragers who could give a damn about the restaurant’s commodious selection of fine wines and the affordable tastings of select varietals presented on Saturday afternoons.

Desserts run the gamut from Warm Apple Strudel and a French Cheese Board to freshly torched Crème Brulee and a pleasant berry-infused cheesecake. In the end, my companion knew exactly the type of alcohol to pair up with our confections – a snifter of 1998 Portuguese Port that you’ll find only in wine-savvy restaurants such as this.