LOGAN SQUARE — A striking blue board with matching patio posts has gone up at Armitage and California avenues, launching a modern and relaxed French bistro-style restaurant.
Bar Parisette opened last week at 2829 W. Armitage Ave. The space was remodeled after the former restaurant, Attagirl, closed after less than a year in business.
The restaurant is the second fresh start for the space, which was the longtime home of Dos Urban Cantina until 2023.
Owner and sommelier Matt Sussman, who also owns Table, Donkey and Stick a few blocks down, decided to close Attagirl and focus on a new idea when the former chef and partner left shortly after opening, Sussman said.
Sussman is now partnering with Madalyn Durrant, who previously worked at Webster’s Wine Bar and as a seafood chef in Salt Lake City and has a background and love for French culture and cuisine. The two connected over Durrant being the only chef at wine tastings, Sussman said.
“The main thing was being excited about working with someone who saw the connection and the importance of wine’s place at the table and how it can elevate food and change how we experience food,” Sussman said.
One of the team’s goals with Bar Parisette is to change the American definition of what a French bistro is — not a style of food but a space that’s inclusive, affordable and original, Durrant said.
“We just want to be able to create a place that is a comfortable and good third space for the neighborhood,” Durrant said.
The poulet roti, a Green Circle Farm chicken, with sugar snap pea and carrot caramel, is a popular dish at Bar Parisette. Credit: Christopher Del Rosario
Bar Parisette’s menu was created by Durrant and her kitchen team, while Sussman put together the wine list and General Manager Diana Benanti crafted the cocktails.
The menu includes small plates, hot and cold meals and bistro items. The poulet roti, a chicken from Green Circle Farm with sugar snap peas and carrot caramel, has been an early favorite, Durrant said.
Many vegetable dishes are also vegan, such as the chilled cucumber soup and the sunflower dish. It was important to the team to highlight vegetable-friendly French food and give it equal placement on the menu, the chef said.
A veggie burger made with a quinoa and bean patty is also on the menu.
“We’re not trying to make anything on the menu vegan when it shouldn’t be, which as a chef is something that is very important to me … but these dishes just happen to be delicious in their own right,” Durrant said.
The chilled cucumber soup is a cold vegan option for summer with strawberry, garlic scape and herbs. Credit: Christopher Del Rosario
Cocktails include a Cigarette Pants martini, a compost gin infused with strawberry tops left over from the kitchen called Three of Cups and a New York sour, Benanti said.
“Any of these cocktails you could have before or after or alongside a glass of wine and throw a dart at the food menu and be fine,” Durrant said.
The second goal of the wine list, which has over 50 options from around the United States and Europe, is to make special bottles affordable to customers, as they are in places like Paris or Montreal, Sussman said. Most of the wine bottles are priced at roughly half the normal restaurant markup.
“The desire [is] to share these things and create a place where people will enjoy it, but it’s also a marketing expense because I think if we can establish that it’s not just for wine collectors who are gonna spend hundreds of dollars, but to people who are interested or just enjoy drinking really good wine with a meal, they can come here and drink really well and not be gouged,” Sussman said.
The restaurant also has grab-and-go bottles for people who want to buy a bottle to enjoy at home or at the park. They can also be bought and drunk at the restaurant.
Matt Sussman is seen pouring wine for some of Bar Parisette’s first guests. Credit: Christopher Del Rosario
Dozens of plants were added to the restaurant, as well as new light fixtures and a paint job. Peach walls replaced the previous pink to better match the bar’s deep turquoise, Sussman said. The team also wanted to make the first dining room more inviting with low tables and chairs.
“There’s a huge difference for the whole team in having a strong, creative direction and leadership structure,” Sussman said of Durrant’s vision.
Bar Parisette debuted happy hour this week, and brunch service could roll out this month, Benanti said.
Happy hour is 5-6:30 p.m. Wednesday-Friday and all night Monday. Regular hours are 5-10 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday and 5-9 p.m. Sundays.
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