Chez Papa Resto

A fantastic Groupon deal had me and some friends at Chez Papa Resto in Mint Plaza on this Friday afternoon, enjoying some drinks and snacks before doing a little light shopping across the street. Because we all had dinner plans later (who says a girl can't eat twice in one night?) we kept things light and shared the best looking dishes from Chez Papa's summer menu. 

Heirloom tomato and watermelon salad. At this time of year, heirloom salads are a dime a dozen. Chez Papa brings new life to this summer menu standby with a bed of crisp watermelon, crumbled goat cheese, toasted pine nuts, baby arugula, and a drizzle of pesto. I especially liked how the crunchy, slightly charred pine nuts paired with the briney, juicy tomatoes.

Even better were the chorizo stuffed squids. The dominant fragrance in this dish is that of celery, so if you don't like celery skip this one. Despite being initially put off by the strong celery smell, I ended up really liking this dish after taking a bite. The squid is perfectly tender, mild with a slight taste of the ocean. The chorizo has just a little chew to it, but isn't too salty or otherwise overpowering. Instead, it lends a salty background to the interplay between squid and celery, while a beautiful orange romesco sauce had us all scraping the bottom of the plate with our bread.

The bouillabaisse of the evening included shrimp, salmon, clams, fingerling potatoes, and sea beans. A taste of the bouillabaisse had us convinced: the chef at Chez Papa knows his sauces. The bouillabaisse was ocean-inspired comfort food at its best: hearty but not too thick, savory with a hint of sweetness, mellowed from slow cooking but brightened with a little acid.

And of course, we had to have the pomme frites with lemon aioli. Again, kudos to the kitchen on the sauce, as well as the crispy fries. It was the perfect carb pairing to our shared small plates of seafood. Chez Papa is a great place to relax over a few shared dishes and specialty cocktails, especially the beautifully red blood orange margarita. I don't always enjoy French fare (I know, a travesty) but I found myself leaving Chez Papa one very happy diner.