First Look: La Parisienne Offers a Bit of The Left Bank in Frisco

If you’re headed to the area around The Star in Frisco, reward yourself with a visit to La Parisienne, a newish French bistro that has been open now for a couple of months. In an effort to sate a bit of wanderlust and memories of outdoor cafes along the banks of the Seine in Paris, we made the trek for lunch recently and weren’t disappointed.

Visitors are greeted with an open, airy and bright space full of (artificial) green foliage and a color scheme that relies heavily on Tiffany blue in both décor accents and upholstery. The large windows provide plenty of light that is augmented by unique light fixtures hanging from the ceiling. There’s also some outdoor seating, but on this day we sat inside.

We passed on cocktails but the decent selection includes a boulevardier and a Parisienne old fashioned with black tea syrup. Instead, we started with Mondi’s baked brie. It arrived warm in a skillet topped with a sticky fig spread, pecans and a bright sprig of rosemary, along with several toasted slices of baguette. The brie itself was a bit thinner than usual, but for lunch it was just enough.

Next, we shared a bowl of French onion soup, or what the menu more accurately called gratinée soupe Á  l’oignon. This was a not-too-big, not-to-small bowl of what one expects from French onion soup: gooey melted cheese over a toasted piece of bread that has become saturated with rich onion broth. It was garnished with chives and had plenty of onions in a rich broth that did not disappoint.

We went with two sandwiches for the mains: a white swan chicken sandwich and a French dip. The chicken sandwich was served open-faced on a toasted croissant and included sautéed chicken in a white wine butter sauce with mushrooms and pearl onions. There was no way we were going to attempt to pick this up and eat it as a typical sandwich, so we devoured it with knife and fork. The chicken was perfectly cooked, and the wine sauce was rich and creamy with the wine upfront. It was a delight.

The French dip might have been a pedestrian choice, but we were still glad we ordered it. Shaved tenderloin with melted provolone cheese on a better-than-average baguette that came with the requisite jus for dipping. The meat was moist and flavorful as is, and we really didn’t do much dipping. The side salad that accompanied it was really good as well: perfectly dressed with several pieces of shaved Parmesan cheese that created a perfect balance with the sandwich.

Dessert was coconut entremet: coconut mousse surrounding an almond chocolate truffle, garnished with toasted coconut and topped with an edible chocolate version of the restaurant logo. It wasn’t as mousse-y as we’d hoped, being almost fondant in texture, but it was a welcome bite to end our meal. There are also baked goods you can purchase to go conveniently located in the entryway.

La Parisienne is also open for dinner, and on the weekends for brunch. Live music is provided on Friday and Saturday nights and during the brunch service, where the offerings include croissant Benedict, omelets, quiches, crêpes, duck and waffles, truffle toast and short rib hash, all of which sound delish. Additionally, there’s a high tea service, including one specifically for children under ten years of age.

Sure, this isn’t the same as sitting at some café in Montmartre on a warm spring day in Paris, sipping an absinthe or Pernod while waiting for the croque monsieur to arrive, but it’s still a pleasant experience. If you gaze long enough at the huge mural that takes up an entire wall in the dining area, you can almost forget that you’re in Frisco. Allons-y.

6740 Winning Drive, No. 1000 (The Star ), Frisco. Monday – Thursday, 11 a.m. – 9 p.m.; Friday, 11 a.m. – midnight; Saturday, 9 a.m. – midnight; Sunday, 9 a.m. – 7 p.m.