Business & Tech

Restaurant Review: Paramour's Dinner

How does the restaurant perform when it's dark?

Restaurant: (at the Wayne Hotel)
Address: 139 East Lancaster Avenue, Wayne
Rating: ★★★★ out of 5 stars
Style: Modern
Food: American
Atmosphere: Contemporary and refined
Parking: Lot
Service: Friendly and accomodating
Price Range: per person
Unique Feature: Outdoor dining in warm months

A drunken one-night stand? A decades-long devout spouse? Paramour's predecessor Taquet enjoyed a long life at the hotel, after all.

But let’s talk about the dinner menu. Actually there are two: Dinner in the Bistro Bar and Dinner in the Dining Room.

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Given the choice, 9 out of ten times I'm going to choose a bistro or bar atmosphere over a "dining room." And that's exactly what I did one cold Sunday night after hearing a rousing but relaxing choir concert at the church across the street.

The quiet, subdued atmosphere with soft sparkling light was a nice way to end a weekend. We were dismayed however at the by-the-glass wine selection. Though that statement could be made most Main Line restaurants, I believe.

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It’s not unusual to have young, fruit-forward California wines dominate by-the-glass menus (ignoring the more local wines of say the North Fork of Long Island or even closer, of the Brandywine Valley).

There was nothing unusual or exciting on the by-the-glass menu. My dining companion likes earthy wines with the taste of tannins and a nose that says, “Yes, I’ve been sitting in a cave for a few years now. What of it?”

So we pick something that would not offend us (I’ve already forgotten it) and moved on to the first course.

I chose the Heirloom Beets and Burrata (with baby beets, orange oil, basil, aged balsamic for $10). I wrote down of that dish that, “The vegetables didn’t sing” in it. Plus, there were huge chunks of sea salt that I had to crunch through. But it was pleasant enough, and maybe it was an off night.

My dining companion, already in general a fan of Paramour, told me that he thought it had the most interesting food in town and that many of the dishes and ingredients you don’t find anywhere else.

He chose to start with the Braised Rabbit (with cavatelli, fava beans, shaved locatelli for $15) and was happy with the dish as well as its existence on the menu. You don’t often see rustic fare in modern restaurants, he noted.

I went on to try the Kobe Sliders (with gruyere cheese, truffle aioli, pickled shallots for $17) while my companion dined on the Handmade Chestnut Ravioli (shredded lola duck, chanterelles, brown butter for $24).

The fries were crispy and well seasoned and the little char on the slider rolls were a perfect touch. While I felt the pickled shallots a very interesting choice, I felt there could have been a brighter pop of acid that may have awoken my tongue in this dish.

My companion liked his dish just fine — and I believe he had had it before, so it was no surprise. And looking at the ingredients that make up the ravioli dish, if done correctly how can it go wrong?

If I go back to Paramour for dinner, I’m not sure what I will try. Maybe the Steak Frites (there’s Chimichurri) or a “Bar Bite” and a Flatbread.

But I do have visions of sitting on the wide front porch of the Wayne Hotel on a warm evening watching the world pass by as I sip and dine take in the town.


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