It's all so cozy inside Saveur on Montezuma Avenue. Soft rock songs with French lyrics play in the background of the dim space, in which several French plates and copper pots line the burnt-orange walls.

The Rusanowskis, the owners of Saveur and former owners of Dee's Restaurant, were busy getting ready for the lunch rush. Dee Rusanowski busily answers phones, greets and jokes with the straggling breakfast customers. Her husband, Bernie, isn't far away, opening and closing refrigerator doors, dressed in black pants with white pinstripes, a white chef's jacket and a black toque. The couple are getting ready for the lunch rush — prepping the piping-hot foods that were emitting aromas to lure even the strictest of dieters to take a bite.

This is how it's been for the last eight years in their restaurant — but they've been working together for the past 50 years.

The couple recently celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with a monthlong trip to France with their three grown sons. They renewed their vows at La Madeleine, a Catholic church in Paris, and had a celebration at the Ritz Hotel Paris.

"Can you imagine 50 years with the same man?" Dee said with a big smile. "And I go and marry him again. I told him, 'In 50 years from now, we're going to come back and do it again.' "

Every year for the past eight years, the Rusanowskis have made a trip to Europe between September and October to celebrate their anniversary. While they've traveled all over Europe, it's France that they're particularly taken with. Bernie, in particular, enjoys going to there.

"They're very particular about food," Bernie said. "They use the best and the freshest ingredients and the people are totally professional. For instance, just as an example, your waiter today won't be a mechanic or something the next week ... I like the difference between here and France."

Every chance he gets, Bernie takes cooking lessons when they're in the region. This year, however, he and Dee both took a wine course.

Out of all the European anniversary celebrations, this one was most special, they said.

"This one has to be the top," Dee said. "We have a lot of great memories, but with this one the boys were with us and we could show them things that we've seen and (places we've) been to in the past ... It was a fun thing to show our kids what their dad and I do."

"This was probably the best because we had the whole family," Bernie said. "We've done our anniversary many times over there but we had the family and that made it special."

The couple first met when they were working at a Carnation Restaurant in North Hollywood. Dee was a day manager and Bernie was a night manager. Soon, Dee's "honesty and straightforwardness" was much too attractive for Bernie to resist. They started dating. One night while the two attended a beach party, Bernie popped the question.

"I said, 'No,' " Dee said. "I wasn't going to marry somebody who drank and smoked and didn't go to church."

So Bernie reformed. "Overnight he stopped smoking, drinking and started going to church," Dee said with a smile. "I knew that was real love."

The couple married at a Catholic church in Las Vegas, Nev., six months later.

"I look forward to another 50 years," Bernie said with a laugh.

Dee's advice to young couples is to be honest with one another and learn to make compromises.

"We have to bend, you know, because if you don't bend, the stick will break," Dee said. "But the honesty, I feel, is the most important. Be honest with one another."

Contact Ana Maria Trujillo at 986-3084 or atrujillo@sfnewmexican.com.