A little slice of Paris in Philly (Parc Review)

December 28th, 2022

Authored by Nina Wilson and Dynisha Murray

*Pictured above are Espresso Martinis, Oysters ($21), Quiche Lorraine ($17), Steak Frites ($36), and the Creme Brulee ($12).*

If there is one thing to know about us, it is that we love to travel. Collectively, we have traveled to Spain, France, Nevada, and Florida. Singularly, we have had our fair share of trips as well. However it is very rare that a restaurant experience can be so immersive that it transports you to a different location halfway around the world. But that is exactly what our experience at Parc was.

Parc opened in 2008 under the guidance of Chef Joe Monnich, and ever since its opening it has become a local favorite. With its soft yellow lighting, black and white tiled floors, creme walls and most of the interior consisting of dark woods, it transports you from Philadelphia to Paris, France from the moment you step foot through the door. The restaurant is also lined with near floor to ceiling windows that reveal the verdant beauty of rittenhouse park as well as the swirl of moving cars and people on the streets and sidewalks. The overall style of Parc is reminiscent of many parisian cafes. Its beauty is of such note that it was listed as one of the most scenic restaurants in the country by Food and Wine back in 2019 (Philly Voice).

The restaurant is a part of Starr which is a restaurant group owned by Stephen Starr, who is a famed restaurateur notorious for revitalizing the restaurant scene in philadelphia. Other restaurants owned by Starr are Buddakan, El Rey, El Vez, The Love and Jackass Burrito to name a few. Starr Restaurant group has over 30 restaurants, between Philadelphia, Washington D.C., and Florida (Starr). Stephen Starr, a Philadelphia native himself, got his start in the restaurant business through event promotion. He opened his first venue Grandma Minnie’s at the age of 21, where it was a restaurant by day and a comedy club at night. From there he opened Stars in 1977 which was then a cabaret that featured emerging acts, most notably Jerry Seinfeld (Starr). Stephen went on to open several more entertainment venues, before establishing the Starr restaurant group in September of 1995 (Wikipedia).

We visited Parc on December 4th, 2022, and made reservations in advance for Sunday morning brunch. We encourage you to do the same if you’re interested in visiting. Although we already established how gorgeous the interior of the restaurant is, it was especially so due to the Christmas decor that outlined the restaurant. Garland was artfully draped around the dining room, along with red bows, wreaths, and white lights. It is perfectly balanced with the existing interior design. As soon as we checked in with the hostess stand, and then the secondary hostess stand, it was not long before we were taken to our seats, which was right next to a massive window that faced towards Locust street. We ordered Espresso Martinis, Oysters, Quiche Lorraine, Steak Frites, and the Creme Brulee.

Espresso Martinis

Espresso Martinis has become our favorite brunch time drink, and we think they have even beaten out mimosas, for the number one spot. And how could they not? It is the perfect mix of coffee, sweetness, and booze that’s enough to gently nudge you awake and get you ready for the rest of the day. We have had our fair share of espresso martinis at various restaurants both for the blog and outside of the work we do for the blog, and by far the ones that we had at Parc were one of the best.

The espresso was packed full of flavor. It had notes of chocolate but was also earthy and smooth. There was no cream or sugar, which was nice because it didn’t make the martini too sweet. But it was strong, but not so strong that seared a hole in your chest and stomach. It was delightful, and the perfect morning pick me up, which is why we rated it five out of five stars.

Oysters

Oysters are not often offered on a brunch menu or many menus in general. Especially because they must be ordered and served fresh to avoid passing on foodborne illnesses. So when we saw that they were on the menu at parc, we figured we had to give them a try. These oysters were a mix of east coast and west coast oysters, and we got a half a dozen.

The presentation was standard for what you would expect, so we’re not going to drone on about that. However the flavor of these oysters were heavenly. They were smooth, and had a nice briny taste. Although we prefer our oysters with a spritz of lemon, you could have had these oysters without them and it still would have been a delectable bite. All in all, these were delicious and we gave them five out of five stars.

Quiche Lorraine

Next item we ordered was the Quiche Lorraine. Quiche is another item that is seldom offered on brunch menus. It would make sense that it was on Parc’s menu, and since we often try to select popular or unique menu items it seemed like the right choice. The menu describes this dish as containing bacon, gruyere and green onion.

When the waiter brought this dish out, it was almost too perfect to eat. Although the presentation was simplistic the dish still called to you like a siren’s song. The quiche was accompanied with a side of salad greens that were tossed in a vinaigrette of some kind. This was appreciated as it helped to balance out the richness of the quiche. The quiche itself was airy and fluffy. It was almost like biting into a pillow and having it melt on your tongue. You could pick up subtle notes of the green onion, and the bacon was perfectly crisp and salty, which also helped to cut through the decadence. The pie crust was light and flaky, and the gruyere also has a subtle flavor as well. Due to this and more, this dish was a winner for us, and we decided to rate it 5 out of 5 stars.

Steak Frites

There were so many options of different entrees we could have ordered. But we decided to keep it simple and go with the steak frites, which was described on the menu as a seared hanger steak and maitre d’butter which is really just a slice of compound butter. We ordered our steak medium well, which in our opinion, is the best way to order your steak.

The presentation was simple but again effective, as merely staring at the steak with the compound butter and the fries made our mouths water. The steak was juicy and tender, and melted on your tongue. The compound butter on top of the steak melted and married well with the salty drippings from the steak. So it was a subtle but potent mixture of herbs, smooth creaminess from the butter, and the gamey but delicious flavor of the steak. The fries were perfectly crisp and golden, and paired wonderfully with the steak. This was an experience that we did not want to end from the first to the last bite, and for that alone we rated this dish five out of five stars.

Creme Brulee

Last but certainly not least, was the creme brulee. We figured that our temporary visit to Paris wouldn't be complete without it. Since we have traveled to Paris and had our fair share of creme brulees, we are more than qualified to say what we think makes a good one. Normally, it has a hard layer of sugar that is also flaky and a little gummy. If it is not a little gummy then the sugar might be a bit over cooked. And the pudding below the sugar has to be smooth and creamy and melt on your tongue. The same way that ice cream does.

That’s exactly what this creme brulee was like. The top of the creme brulee had a perfect crispy sugar coating, and the only difference from what we described above is that there was a prominent vanilla flavor, which enhanced the flavors within the pudding. The pudding was light and airy like a mousse, but also smooth and velvety. The dish was accompanied with a small lemon cake that was a bit dry, but still broke up the decadence of the creme brulee. This is probably one of the best creme brulees that we have had in the states, which is why we rated this dish 5 out of 5 stars.

In Closing…

This was a spectacular experience. The food was amazing, the service was also amazing. Parc has rightfully earned a spot within our top five favorite places to eat at for this year. We highly recommend you check it out if you get a chance.

We hope that you guys have had a happy holiday, and most likely the next time you will hear from us will be in the new year! So thank you all so much for reading our blog this year, and we have got bigger and better things in store for next year.

Until next year,

XOXO

The Brunch Besties