Name: Paris Texas Contact: 461 King St. W., paristexas.ca, @paristexasparistexas Neighbourhood: King West Previously: Arcane Owners: Gurpreet Kailley; Jason Bitton, Rahul Raina and Adam Szabo (Municipal Goods); Nick Di Donato and Luca Di Donato (Liberty Entertainment Group) Chef: Eric Phung (Walrus Pub and Beer Hall) Accessibility: Not fully accessible
Gurpreet Kailey and Jason Bitton, part-owners and operators of Paris Texas—a strapping new country-western resto-club on the King West strip—met as business students at Western University. While in London, the two friends found their way into the entertainment scene, producing EDM and hip-hop festivals, promoting concerts, and curating parties that became so popular and profitable that they moved back to Toronto to see if they could make it in the big city.
From left to right: Luca Di Donato, Gurpreet Kailley, Adam Szabo and Jason Bitton
Their first venture, Pizza Wine Disco (say “Donna Summer soppressata” five times fast!), opened last year for party people who were desperate to eat and dance en masse again. Also involved in PWD was Luca Di Donato, a fellow Mustang and the son of Liberty Entertainment Group’s head honcho, Nick Di Donato. Di Donato Sr. offered up the space that was housing Arcane, his struggling nightclub, for the young entrepreneurs to reinvent. They jumped on the project and gutted the whole building, reconceptualizing it as a little bit country and a whole lot of swagger. And, yes, DJs will keep things country.
Chef Eric Phung
The food
Phung stays on brand, offering Hungry Man–style plates and portions, each with subtle refinements. House-made chips are served with creamy and fresh herb–infused onion dip; piles of chicken wings arrive at the table naked, zesty dipping sauces served alongside (no Wet-Nap required); and mammoth 22-ounce bone-in ribeye steaks are brushed with Parisian butter and served with truffle frites.
The kale, orange and pistachio salad is a bright plate of organic baby kale and shredded carrot dressed with a honey, maple, orange and passionfruit vinaigrette. It’s finished with dried cranberries, a smattering of quinoa, whole roasted pistachios and dill. $18
The heirloom beet salad features both red and yellow beets that have been roasted, chilled and then pickled in white balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, clove and cinnamon. It’s finished with goat cheese, sunflower seeds and sprouts. $11
To make the Texas Cornbread, Phung mixes cornflour with a succotash of zucchini, peppers, shallots and garlic as well as a creamy veloute. It’s cooked in a griddle and finished with bourbon butter, maple honey and a sprinkling of chives. $10
The truffle mac and cheese is topped with a crispy tomato-herb crust. $18
Served on vegan brioche, the Mock Chicken Sandwich is a breaded soy patty dipped in a secret dredge and then fried. It’s topped with sliced pickles, shredded iceberg lettuce, house-made vegan dill ranch and spicy vegan mayo. Fries come on the side. $23
Phung worked for two months to get the batter for the twice-fried chicken and waffles just right. He brines the bird for 24 hours, then dredges it in a crêpe-like batter and yet again in a flour-cornflake mixture before dropping it in the deep fryer. It’s served on house-made cheddar cheese waffles and dressed with house buffalo sauce and pickled Anaheim chilies. On the side: a bottle of the kitchen’s maple honey. $30
The 22-ounce bone-in Alberta ribeye is brushed with a sauce of French butter, chili and tarragon and then sprinkled with Maldon salt. The mammoth cut of meat is served with frizzly, thinly sliced deep-fried onions and house-made truffle-parmesan fries. $80
The caramelized orange cheesecake is a chilled dessert of orange-infused mascarpone cheese and heavy cream. It’s blanketed with a rich layer of chocolate ganache & sprinkled with toasted caramelized pecans. $18
For the Bourbon Bacon Chocolate, Phung subs in bacon fat for butter. The cake is filled with hazelnut buttercream and bourbon caramel, then topped with fresh berries, whipped cream and—wait for it— a strip of gold-dusted, chocolate-covered bacon. $18
This light, pillowy version of the classic coconut cream pie rests on a pineapple coulis. It’s finished with Chantilly cream and toasted coconut. $18
The Southern Julep is a boozy dessert composed of grapefruit cream, crunchy praline, meringue and fresh grapefruit segments. It’s all laced with Bombay Sapphire Gin. $18
And a whole rootin’ tootin’ cowboy-shootin’ spread
The drink menu centres signature cocktails by bar manager Michael Rausch, some of which are spins on classic concoctions. Case in point: the Cactus Jack, Rausch’s high-falutin’ spin on a classic margarita, is a balanced blend of lime juice, organic agave syrup, tequila, Grand Marnier and—the twist—fresh-squeezed prickly pear juice.
The Watermelon Sugar is a refreshingly simple spritzer of fresh-squeezed watermelon juice, Aperol, vodka and prosecco. $22
Orchids find their way into the wild west with the Cactus Jack, Rausch’s take on a classic margarita that incorporates fresh prickly pear juice. $22
The Raspberry Lemonade Sour is Rausch’s spin on a traditional sour. It’s made with brewed raspberry tea, crème de cassis, whiskey, lemon juice and egg white. $19
The space
The mammoth dining room and bar is a modern—decidedly not corny—take on a saloon. The vibe hints at the style of the Wild West (think modern brass elements, leather banquettes, miniature cacti and big ol’ bars) rather than hitting the nail on the head (there’s nary a spur or sheriff’s star in sight). The sweeping front patio with a 20-foot-long marble bar offers a refreshing contrast to the autumnal colour palette indoors. Light-blue cushions are plumped up along gently bleached wood benches with rope detailing, in keeping with the country theme.
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Name: Paris Texas
Contact: 461 King St. W., paristexas.ca, @paristexasparistexas
Neighbourhood: King West
Previously: Arcane
Owners: Gurpreet Kailley; Jason Bitton, Rahul Raina and Adam Szabo (Municipal Goods); Nick Di Donato and Luca Di Donato (Liberty Entertainment Group)
Chef: Eric Phung (Walrus Pub and Beer Hall)
Accessibility: Not fully accessible
Gurpreet Kailey and Jason Bitton, part-owners and operators of Paris Texas—a strapping new country-western resto-club on the King West strip—met as business students at Western University. While in London, the two friends found their way into the entertainment scene, producing EDM and hip-hop festivals, promoting concerts, and curating parties that became so popular and profitable that they moved back to Toronto to see if they could make it in the big city.
[caption id="attachment_617920" align="aligncenter" width="2560"] From left to right: Luca Di Donato, Gurpreet Kailley, Adam Szabo and Jason Bitton[/caption]
Related: What’s on the menu at Kissa, a sleek multi-level listening bar with a karaoke room on King West
Their first venture, Pizza Wine Disco (say "Donna Summer soppressata" five times fast!), opened last year for party people who were desperate to eat and dance en masse again. Also involved in PWD was Luca Di Donato, a fellow Mustang and the son of Liberty Entertainment Group’s head honcho, Nick Di Donato. Di Donato Sr. offered up the space that was housing Arcane, his struggling nightclub, for the young entrepreneurs to reinvent. They jumped on the project and gutted the whole building, reconceptualizing it as a little bit country and a whole lot of swagger. And, yes, DJs will keep things country.
[caption id="attachment_617924" align="aligncenter" width="2560"] Chef Eric Phung[/caption]
The food
Phung stays on brand, offering Hungry Man–style plates and portions, each with subtle refinements. House-made chips are served with creamy and fresh herb–infused onion dip; piles of chicken wings arrive at the table naked, zesty dipping sauces served alongside (no Wet-Nap required); and mammoth 22-ounce bone-in ribeye steaks are brushed with Parisian butter and served with truffle frites.
[caption id="attachment_617898" align="aligncenter" width="2560"] The kale, orange and pistachio salad is a bright plate of organic baby kale and shredded carrot dressed with a honey, maple, orange and passionfruit vinaigrette. It’s finished with dried cranberries, a smattering of quinoa, whole roasted pistachios and dill. $18[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_617902" align="aligncenter" width="2560"] The heirloom beet salad features both red and yellow beets that have been roasted, chilled and then pickled in white balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, clove and cinnamon. It's finished with goat cheese, sunflower seeds and sprouts. $11[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_617900" align="aligncenter" width="2560"] To make the Texas Cornbread, Phung mixes cornflour with a succotash of zucchini, peppers, shallots and garlic as well as a creamy veloute. It’s cooked in a griddle and finished with bourbon butter, maple honey and a sprinkling of chives. $10[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_617897" align="aligncenter" width="2560"] The truffle mac and cheese is topped with a crispy tomato-herb crust. $18[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_617899" align="aligncenter" width="2560"] Served on vegan brioche, the Mock Chicken Sandwich is a breaded soy patty dipped in a secret dredge and then fried. It’s topped with sliced pickles, shredded iceberg lettuce, house-made vegan dill ranch and spicy vegan mayo. Fries come on the side. $23[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_617904" align="aligncenter" width="1334"] Phung worked for two months to get the batter for the twice-fried chicken and waffles just right. He brines the bird for 24 hours, then dredges it in a crêpe-like batter and yet again in a flour-cornflake mixture before dropping it in the deep fryer. It's served on house-made cheddar cheese waffles and dressed with house buffalo sauce and pickled Anaheim chilies. On the side: a bottle of the kitchen’s maple honey. $30[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_617901" align="aligncenter" width="2560"] The 22-ounce bone-in Alberta ribeye is brushed with a sauce of French butter, chili and tarragon and then sprinkled with Maldon salt. The mammoth cut of meat is served with frizzly, thinly sliced deep-fried onions and house-made truffle-parmesan fries. $80[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_617918" align="aligncenter" width="2560"] The caramelized orange cheesecake is a chilled dessert of orange-infused mascarpone cheese and heavy cream. It’s blanketed with a rich layer of chocolate ganache & sprinkled with toasted caramelized pecans. $18[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_617915" align="aligncenter" width="1334"] For the Bourbon Bacon Chocolate, Phung subs in bacon fat for butter. The cake is filled with hazelnut buttercream and bourbon caramel, then topped with fresh berries, whipped cream and—wait for it— a strip of gold-dusted, chocolate-covered bacon. $18[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_617916" align="aligncenter" width="2560"] This light, pillowy version of the classic coconut cream pie rests on a pineapple coulis. It’s finished with Chantilly cream and toasted coconut. $18[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_617917" align="aligncenter" width="2560"] The Southern Julep is a boozy dessert composed of grapefruit cream, crunchy praline, meringue and fresh grapefruit segments. It’s all laced with Bombay Sapphire Gin. $18[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_617903" align="aligncenter" width="2560"] And a whole rootin' tootin' cowboy-shootin' spread[/caption]
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The drinks
The drink menu centres signature cocktails by bar manager Michael Rausch, some of which are spins on classic concoctions. Case in point: the Cactus Jack, Rausch’s high-falutin’ spin on a classic margarita, is a balanced blend of lime juice, organic agave syrup, tequila, Grand Marnier and—the twist—fresh-squeezed prickly pear juice.
[caption id="attachment_617907" align="aligncenter" width="2560"] The Watermelon Sugar is a refreshingly simple spritzer of fresh-squeezed watermelon juice, Aperol, vodka and prosecco. $22[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_617906" align="aligncenter" width="1334"] Orchids find their way into the wild west with the Cactus Jack, Rausch’s take on a classic margarita that incorporates fresh prickly pear juice. $22[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_617905" align="aligncenter" width="1334"] The Raspberry Lemonade Sour is Rausch’s spin on a traditional sour. It's made with brewed raspberry tea, crème de cassis, whiskey, lemon juice and egg white. $19[/caption]
The space
The mammoth dining room and bar is a modern—decidedly not corny—take on a saloon. The vibe hints at the style of the Wild West (think modern brass elements, leather banquettes, miniature cacti and big ol' bars) rather than hitting the nail on the head (there's nary a spur or sheriff’s star in sight). The sweeping front patio with a 20-foot-long marble bar offers a refreshing contrast to the autumnal colour palette indoors. Light-blue cushions are plumped up along gently bleached wood benches with rope detailing, in keeping with the country theme.
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