Bistro par excellence

By John Kernaghan
The Hamilton Spectator
(Aug 25, 2006)

If you're going to name yourself Bistro Parisien, you have to pay more than lip service to the City of Light's cuisine. And that means mains like boudin noir on your menu.

That's blood pudding. And don't worry, your agent was stumped at first blush, too.

But it also means steak frites, an abject Gallic pandering to basic food lust, and classic desserts, in this case made in house and, based on a sampling, to die for.

All told, aside from what many see as culinary curiosities, the sleek newcomer up on James Street South is set to deliver classic tastes at mid-level pricing. Two visits confirmed very good value in the old stone block on the street's west side.

I dropped by on a Sunday for lunch and picked out the rabbit pate ($7) and catch of the day, salmon ($14.50), drinking in a setting that is kind on the eyes.

The high ceilings permit 10-foot windows over James Street to take in the passing scene and the mocha walls and gleaming original floorboards were warming. Meanwhile, a simple but elegant table setting with pristine linen napkins and warm baguette with butter was an agreeable start.

The rabbit pate came as two thick pads, like a deck of cards halved, with triangles of that baguette and the yin and yang of a sweet berry sauce and hot mustard to complement the coarse, moist and rich meat mix.

A garnish of pickle and sliced radishes dressed up the platter. It was very good.

A call of nature between courses revealed a sense of style carried into the lavatory, too, where soft cotton hand towels were piled at the ready in a pristine setting.

I barely beat the salmon to the table, and good thing because it arrived almost popping with heat and dripping with a lemon mousseline sauce that was evil in its richness. The salmon fell away in chunks that combined with the egg-based sauce in a decadent duo.

The fish reclined on a warm slaw of greens, asparagus spears graced the top of this grand heap and a rare delight, baby beets, were a treat.

I groaned at the mere mention of dessert but was indulged anyway with a square of dark semi-sweet chocolate with my coffee and a chocolate-covered maraschino cherry sweetened the tray bearing the bill.

Service was highly engaging, by the way, and continued this way on a second visit for dinner when I tried the trio of petite salads ($8) and breast of duck ($18).

The opening trinity was a range of tastes, a crunchy carrot and chickpea component with a light curry taste, nutty lentil and a celeriac slaw that was rich and creamy.

In total, it was huge, so I made just a small dent.

The duck came as eight big medallions overlapped and arranged beside a tub of cauliflower au gratin with grilled green and yellow beans piled to one side and carrot occupying another corner.

The duck was wonderfully rare and abetted by a grainy grape mustard sauce that won favour.

The rich creamed cauliflower, which revived memories of long ago Sunday dinners, was topped by toasted bread crumbs and the vegetable component was fresh and crisp.

I finished with some pastry magic, three profiteroles ($8), filled with vanilla custard and swamped in a warm and dark chocolate sauce and whipped cream.

Bistro Parisien is off to an excellent start with some star turns from the kitchen of Steven Soloduk.

jkernaghan@thespec.com 905-526-3422

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Bistro Parisien
150 James St. S., Hamilton
905-546-0003
bistroparisien.com

The look: Bright and stylish.

The feel: Rich and smart.

What you'll pay: Lunch opens with soup du jour for $5.50, French onion soup is $7.50 and salads include greens with vinaigrette for $5.50 and frisee and lardons, frisee with fava beans, sauteed lardons and poached egg and herb vinaigrette for $7. Appetizers run from $7 for rabbit pate to $8 for grilled calamari and second courses include mussels with frites and greens for $11.50 and gnocchi with dried tomatoes and sage butter for $14.50.

Dinner starters include mussels Provencal or brandade de morue, poached salt cod and potatoes, for $8. Entrees run from $14.50 for risotto to braised saddle and leg of rabbit for $17.50. Made-in-house desserts are $8. A good range of wines and you can bring your own wine for $15.

Hours: 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. for lunch, limited menu from 3 to 5 p.m., dinner from 5 to 10 p.m. seven days a week. Sunday brunch beginning Sept. 17 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The restaurant is wheelchair accessible.