Toulouse Petit Turned One

Let’s face it, dear hedonists, for it’s inevitable: another year = another birthday. However, for the restaurant industry, growing old is a true sign of success.

Take Toulouse Petit Kitchen & Lounge, for example: exactly one year and two months ago, Toulouse Petit turned one years old (that’s November 12, 2010 for you non-math types). The brainchild of Brian Hutmacher and younger sibling to the adjoining 13-year-old Peso’s Kitchen and Lounge, Toulouse Petit was so-named because 1) Toulouse was the name of the street where Brian got his first job in the “industry” – waiting tables in New Orleans and 2) the space ended up being much smaller than anticipated; Toulouse Petit’s building is located right next door to Peso’s and once held both a dry cleaners and a teriyaki place.

It’s a story of humble beginnings turned success story: Brian and Chef Eric Donnelly share a passion for the complex and nuanced cuisines of France and New Orleans. Brian also possesses a passion for unique interior and exterior design; he has his own fabricating shop at his disposal for all of his artisanal glassblowing and woodworking needs for both eateries. In fact, exterior lights to match the interior lights were added the week of Toulouse Petit’s first year.

Day General Manager Levi Colinas hosted a private media tasting for your Hedonista right around Toulouse Petit’s one-year birthday. Boasting some 50+ dinner items on a menu that changes as often as Chef Eric’s whim, the folks here believe variety is the spice of life. Here are the tasting notes:

I asked Levi to select a couple of their best sellers; he came up with 1) their Crab Ravigote over Fried Green Tomatoes – where New Orleans meets the Pacific Northwest meets France, complete with grits-like breading and white cornmeal & flour gravy – and 2) their Fried Chicken with Black Pepper-Tasso Gravy – classic southern food, now equally revered by the Pacific Northwest: although I found the mashed spuds to be too salty, the gravy is ham-cured and black pepper spicy and their breading on their fried chicken is some of the best I’ve ever had. I also requested the Housemade Garlic Sausage with Summer Tomato Sauce and Fresh Basil, which was very fresco and tasty; I was informed that all of their meats are cured in-house, with their alligator and craw fish shipped directly from New Orleans without ever being frozen or farmed.

And I sampled two of their most popular drinks: 1) their Vieux Carré (the name the French Quarter of New Orleans) – Pikesville Rye, Raynal Brandy, Benedictine, and sweet vermouth – drinking this concoction is like a rich medicine for the soul – and 2) their Toulouse Hurricane – Light & Black Rum, lime juice, passion fruit nectar, OJ, pineapple syrup, Angostura bitters, and soda water – heavy on both the fruit and the kick (think a Mai Tai à la New Orleans).

There’s lots of times of the day (and night) to give this place a try (or a revisit): a breakfast menu that is served seven days a week from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m and a daily Toulouse Breakfast Happy Hour, where all items on the Breakfast menu are just $6 a piece (Monday-Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.); a daily lunch menu (again, available seven days a week) from 11:30 a.m. until 3:00 p.m.; an Early Happy Hour that runs from 4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. and is available – yup, you guessed it – seven days a week; and a Late Night Menu and Happy Hour from 10:00 p.m. until 1:00 a.m., available – surprise, surprise – every day of the week.

Note: In order to comply with FTC Act 16 C.F.R. 255, Heed the Hedonist would like to disclose that it does receive media “comps” and/or media discounts – but not in exchange for favorable coverage, or for withholding unfavorable coverage, of the give venue/meal/performance/product/service.