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When Le Parigot closed its doors in the vibrant Gulf Gate dining scene, I dry-cried like a depressed mime. Sure, Sarasota has Rick’s Bistro and Paris Bistrot, but Le Parigot had that essential mix of casual atmosphere, classic and refined French comfort food, and proximity to some of my favorite watering holes. It was my go-to spot whenever I needed a little Gallic gastronomy.

But when Paris to Budapest took over the space, I was heartened by the potential. Maybe a mélange of Hungarian cuisine and Parisian bistro standards never crossed my mind as a viable option for my French fix, but mixing a little goulash into my cassoulet and chocolate mousse might be fun, I figured.

One visit convinced me that I was wrong. And right. Paris to Budapest won’t fill my bistro void, but it is fun — and tasty enough — to carve out its own niche in my culinary heart.

If you were a Le Parigot regular, you might experience a burst of confusion upon entering Paris. The place is exactly the same, the walls still wallpapered wtih Parisian photos and signs, the room still littered with dozens of Eiffel Tower tchochkes. But the menu, and the accent, is much different.

Take a gander down the list and you’ll see some familiar French dishes — pâte and onion soup, frog legs and cordon bleu. But then there’s goulash and paprikash, Hungarian lecho and balaton, along with Franco-Hungarian blends like Alsatian choucroute garnie loaded with Eastern European meats. And instead of the ubiquitous cheesy potato gratin side dish found in almost every bistro in this country, at Paris you get rustic, homemade dumplings like miniature spaetzle. It’s difficult to pigeonhole this cuisine.

Taste it, though, and you start to get the idea. Paris serves comfort food, the hallmark of classic bistros, no matter where the dishes originate. The goulash is utterly simple, just hunks of beef and potato accented with bright smoked paprika and herbaceous green pepper, with a little vinegar to wake everything up. Tomato soup is sweet and thick, with a crust consisting of a tuna slice and hearty melted blue cheese.

Everything here is hearty: the richer the better. Beef stew is soundly Parisian, the bite-sized hunks braised till they fall apart in your mouth, each piece coated in red wine gravy. Chicken paprikash is absolutely doused in sweet-and-smoky paprika that adds layers of character to the simple fowl.

You can amp your Hungarian consumption with the lecho — a sauté of peppers, onions, tomato and meat — or just order the cordon bleu. Sure, it’s as French as it gets, until you start stuffing the chicken breast with ham imported from Hungary.

Chef Anthony ? — formerly at Pastry Art downtown — steps up the elegance a bit when dealing with fish. Paris’ giant salmon filet is draped in an intensely flavorful sauce of coconut milk, butter, cream and curry that will have you lifting up the plate to slurp the final dregs. Sea bass is doused in cognac and thickened lobster stock, then flambéed for caramelization.

Most of the dishes also come with a tart cucumber salad full of vinegar and herbs, the slices of veggie thin but crisp, or you can ask for Hungarian-style lightly-pickled veggies. But save room for dessert.

That final course is all French, in spite of the occasional reference to Hungarian influence: Tender crepes stuffed with walnuts, raisins, sugar and lemon, or Nutella; dark chocolate mousse that manages intense flavor, but is a little too dense; crème brûlée; and a daily tart that ranges from pastry crusts wrapped around apples to cakey concoctions dotted with deep red cherries. All are worth the extra calories, even after one of Paris’ hearty meals.

Lunch is a lighter affair, with a variety of quiches, salads, and omelets. Sandwiches will fill your belly, especially the Hungarian Power, which is stuffed with a variety of salamis, egg and cheese with a kick from paprika. But even if you grab a light omelet and some cucumber salad, you can still stuff yourself with the same desserts available at dinner.

So, no replacement for Le Parigot. Instead, we get a curious mash-up of Hungarian and Parisian favorites, sometimes blended in the same dish, that manages to separate Paris to Budapest from its illustrious predecessor, even they share the same décor.

(Photos by Rachel Levey-Baker)

Paris to Budapest

3.5 stars

6551 Gateway Ave., Sarasota, 552-9707

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