In new locale, Le Parigo still magnifique (bien sur)

The Grub Spouse and I first dined at Le Parigo a few years ago, when it was in Bearden. I walked away seeing stars — speaking, that is, in terms of the high score I would ultimately give the French-cuisine restaurant.

With a dwindling list of new eateries to explore, and given the fact that Le Parigo has since relocated to Clinch Avenue downtown, I felt that paying a follow-up visit was justified. The fact that we had enjoyed our meal immensely first time around certainly didn’t do anything to diminish my motivation.

The menu is brief but manages to give diners a well-rounded selection of French-style dishes. Appetizers include beef tartare, Hudson Valley foie gras and escargot. I had tried all these items at some point in my career, but the soup of the day, French onion with Gruyere cheese, was the most enticing at that moment. It’s one of my favorite soups, and I couldn’t remember the last time I had enjoyed it.

Filet mignon, seared filet of wild salmon, steak au poivre and roasted half chicken are among the entrees. On our last visit, we were very complimentary of the Hudson Valley duck breast. This time, however, The Spouse decided to try the braised rabbit facon Lulu ($23.95), mainly because neither of us could recall ever having tasted rabbit prepared in a fine-dining setting. Meanwhile, my entree choice was the seared veal medallion with grape/foie gras sauce ($29.95).

Our courses arrived at a measured pace, although I think the interval between appetizer and entrée was a shade on the draggy side. The soup was absolutely wonderful, from what I detected to be the addition of wine to the stock to the gooey Gruyere and still-crispy croutons. We both raved over the veal, which is served with fingerling potatoes and haricot vert (French-style green beans). The bits of grape and foie gras sauce were wonderfully complementary to each other and the deliciously tender veal.

I was not, however, as enamored of the rabbit. That’s not a criticism of Le Parigo’s preparation but simply my realization that the small-game flavor of rabbit doesn’t naturally agree with my palate (or The Spouse’s). There was some validity to an old cliche in that its texture and flavor were somewhat reminiscent of chicken, but we also expended too much time extracting edible bits from the bone to feel the love. Again, however, no blame assigned to Le Parigo.

Our mousse dessert was light and whippy but still delivered rich chocolate rewards. My only gripe was the miniscule serving size, which can be conquered in just a few spoonfuls, making it a poor selection for a shared dessert, to say the least. At $6.95, I thought it was the only item we tried that was truly overpriced.

In general, I believe the quality of Le Parigo’s food has not suffered in the transition. I’m not quite as fond of the new setting as I was the old one, and the service this time around seemed to lack the consistency and polish that we had experienced before. But I am also convinced that those who appreciate fine dining will find the trip downtown to be worth it, my rabbit experience notwithstanding. So hop to it.

© 2009, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.
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