Oui Oui...Fantastic French

Parc

227 South 18^th Street

Philadelphia, PA 19103

www.parc-restaurant.com 

Parc had been on the short list of ‘must visit as soon as possible’ restaurants that I have had a for a few years, and I finally got to cross it off the list a few weeks ago with my girlfriend’s parents. I was super excited about it because of my affinity for French cuisine, but also because it is the crown jewel of Stephen Starr’s empire and it has been for many years. After eating there, I can now see why. It is huge on the inside, and the food is absolutely perfect.

My girlfriend and I were very excited about taking her parents to Parc, and her father was very excited as well because he had picked up an affinity for French food while living in Paris in his early 20’s. When we sat down the restaurant seemed to have a feel of being set in Paris. It gives off a bistro atmosphere, and it is very welcoming and inviting. We all ordered our respective coffees, an espresso for me, and they brought out a basket of breads for us to try. My girlfriend told me I had to try the fruit bread, but I wasn’t a big fan of it. I was absolutely floored by the whole wheat sour dough bread however. It was incredibly delicious, even more so than I thought was possible for sourdough bread. I ate quite a bit of it, and we even asked for a bit more once we were out of the first bread basket. 

I had read in an issue of Philadelphia magazine that the Croque Madam was one of the best sandwiches in the city, so I could not pass up the opportunity to try it. I ordered it, and my girlfriend ordered the eggs Norwegian, a riff on the classic dish of eggs Benedict, with the addition of smoked salmon. We split the two dishes between us, and I was utterly impressed with both of the dishes that we had ordered. The Croque Madam was perfectly executed. The bread was thick and buttery, and covered in white gravy that was rich and creamy beyond your wildest imagination. The bacon on the dish was simply amazing.

The eggs Norwegian was somehow better than the traditional eggs Benedict. The smoked salmon gave the dish another layer of salt and taste that it traditionally does not have. Pairing the smoked salmon with the English muffins and perfectly poached eggs covered in Hollandaise sauce was just incredible.

I cannot wait to go back to Parc for breakfast very soon. I would love to go back and try it for lunch and dinner as well. Stephen Starr really nailed the concept, the execution, and overall success that he was aiming for with Parc. Go out there and try it and I bet you will be quite happy with your choice. Cheers!