Westown businessmen and women might want to acquaint themselves with Adam Majewski and Tom Schultz. As co-owners and chefs at the new Laissez Faire, 724 N. Old World 3rd St., they are two reasons to skip the daily lunch parade to the Grand Avenue's food court.

Laissez Faire opened in late summer inside the old Maxie's diner space, adjacent to the former Hotel Wisconsin, which has been refurbished into the Grand Wisconsin apartments and penthouses. The small but efficient restaurant takes elements of a contemporary New York style deli and accents it with touches of classic French bistro.

Having attended the School for Culinary Arts in New York, Majewski returned to Milwaukee inspired by the way the Big Apple does lunch and began perfecting the classics like the rueben ($6.50), the pastrami ($9.50) and specialties such as the Irishman -- sliced corned beef with stone ground mustard on marble rye ($6.50) -- and the DLT, adding duck to a traditional BLT, coating it in balsamic orange aioli (garlic mayo) and serving it on toasted brioche ($7.50).

"We even wanted to put Yoo-hoo in the coolers and make it as close to New York style as you can get," adds Majewski.

The French Rivera influence comes from the time Schultz spent traveling in France and is primarily represented at Laissez Faire in salad form. But these, of course, are not your typical veggie-heavy salads, but rather rich and succulent French varieties.

The goat cheese with bacon ($6.25) is spring mix with bacon, sunflower seeds and goat cheese with a sherry vinaigrette. The lunch salad (6.75) starts with romaine and adds blue cheese, cucumber, scallions and hard-boiled egg with a cobb dressing. The Duck Confit ($10) tops them all with duck, romaine, spring mix, walnuts and dried apricots with a balsamic reduction.

Daily specials, including fresh pastas, a variety of soups and an ever-evolving wine list complement the regular menu, though both chefs say they see Laissez Faire as a neighborhood-driven restaurant and are always open to customer suggestion.

"We really listen to what the customer wants," says Majewski. "We try to cater to the residents in the neighborhood, and we don't want to impose anything.

"One of the concepts of Laissez Faire was allowing neighborhoods to decide how businesses run ... and we like that philosophy. We want to be part of this community in the west side of Downtown. We're connected to other business around here and we all want the dame thing: To see this side of Milwaukee get it together and really go somewhere. I think we're at that point now, as opposed to five years ago."

Although lunch seems to be the primary focus of Laissez Faire, it remains open until 9 p.m. for the dinner crowd and wakes with the sun on Saturdays for a French inspired brunch from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. featuring a traditional eggs benedict, crepes with wild mushrooms and gruyere, two eggs any way you want them, omelets and quiche. The $4 mimosas are a nice touch, as well.