Happy Wednesday, everyone! I hope you’re enjoying the unofficial last week of summer. Now that my favourite season is drawing to a close, I’ve been trying to enjoy all the summery activities – from beach outings to wine tours to patio drinks – while the weather permits. And just when I thought it was too late for summer travel plans, the other week Tania and I decided to jaunt off for a quick trip to Paris… Paris Texas, that is! No, this isn’t the Paris in France, Texas or even Ontario… it’s a brand new country-themed restaurant that just opened on King West.
Founded by Gurpreet Kailey and Jason Bitton (the same folks behind Pizza Wine Disco) in collaboration with Municipal Goods and Liberty Entertainment Group, Paris Texas – which opened in early July – was conceptualized as a chic yet casual country and western themed bar, restaurant and nightlife venue. The restaurant has a saloon-inspired interior (that turns into a club at night) and a sprawling outdoor patio with views of the CN Tower. If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you know that I love Southern food almost as much as I love checking out new restaurants, so I couldn’t wait to take a trip to Paris Texas!
We sat on the patio, which is decorated with blue banquettes, whitewashed wood furniture and faux cacti. The focal point of the patio is a showstopping 20-foot-long marble bar.
We started with drinks, of course! Tania ordered a glass of Miraval Rosé (one of our favourite wines) and I got the Fuzzy Peach cocktail – I just can’t resist a cute drink name! The Fuzzy Peach is a mix of Bulleit bourbon, peach rooibos tea, house-made peach puree and fresh lemon, and is garnished with fresh peach slices. It was light and refreshing – not too sweet – and the peach slices were a nice touch!
For dinner, we decided to order three dishes to share: the Texas Corn Bread, Summer Greens Salad, and Chicken & Waffles.
I’ll preface this by saying I’m pretty picky when it comes to cornbread. I make it at home regularly – and not to brag, but it’s a really, really good one – so I have high standards when ordering it at a restaurant. It has to be perfectly golden with a light and fluffy texture, and have just the right ratio of sweet to salty. It takes a lot for a cornbread to impress me, but let me tell you, this one did! It’s baked in a cast iron skillet, served warm and topped with maple honey, bourbon butter and chives. It was seriously so good that we took what we couldn’t eat home with us, and finished it that same night!
The Summer Greens Salad consists of spring mix tossed in a raspberry yogurt dressing, topped with candied pecans, raspberries, goat cheese and sliced watermelon radish. You know those salads that taste so decadent you know they can’t possibly be healthy? This was one of these. Between the sweet dressing and the decadent toppings, this salad could rival any dessert they had on the menu. It may not be the best choice for those watching their calories, but if it’s flavour you’re after, you’ll love this – we finished the whole thing!
The piece de resistance was, of course, the Chicken & Waffles. According to Toronto Life, chef Eric Phung spent two months perfecting the recipe for the twice-fried chicken, which is brined for 24 hours before being battered in a flour-cornflake mixture and deep-fried. The chicken is served with savoury cheddar waffles, a small dish of compressed watermelon, and bottles of house buffalo sauce and maple honey. Both Tania and I loved this dish. The two months it took to get the recipe just right were two months well spent, because the chicken was delicious! I didn’t try the buffalo sauce (it’s just not my thing) but I loved the maple honey so much that I wish I could have bought a bottle to take home. And the watermelon was such a unique side dish! I’d never tried compressed watermelon before, but I’m officially a fan – it really concentrates the flavour of the fruit.
We loved our meal at Paris Texas, and hope to return soon to try their Sunday brunch… my only concern is how I’ll ever choose between the Southern eggs benedict and the peach-blueberry French toast. Restaurant reservations (for brunch or dinner) can be made here. If you end up visiting Paris Texas, please let me know how you liked it. And if there’s any other restaurants in Toronto you think I should know about, from new kids on the block to old favourites, please let me know – I’d love to hear your recommendations!
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