Je T'aime

As I was walking along Dundas St. W between Ossington and Dufferin on a bright summer day, the gentrification of the neighbourhood continued apace. One such place, with retractable windows that opened wide onto a bright open space, brimming with smartly dressed people, looked intriguing. So on Sunday, I returned to check it out.

It turns out Paris Paris was a wine bar, for those who don't want a beer or another ho-hum choice from the LCBO, but marked up. Looking over the small food menu, I settled on a dish of white beans, tuna, and onions ($12) and a glass of Portuguese red ($13), in a nod to the neighbourhood's former identity. The food was all right but it's the ambience of Paris Paris that was the draw. Exhibit one: even as a non-drinker, I opted for another glass.

I can see the popularity of this place. Whether as a hang-out or especially a date venue, there will be people in the future for whom Paris Paris will invoke fond memories of being "our place".