Toulouse Petit - Breakfast of Champignons!
Toulouse Petit brings New Orleans inspired fare to lower Queen Anne. Featuring a unique and flavorful Southern cuisine and ornate Creole decor, Toulouse offers a soulful dining experience from early morning until late evening.
Brian Hutmacher, the owner of Mexican restaurant Peso’s, opened Toulouse Petit in 2010. The menus are similar in format, but both restaurants offer cuisines quite unique. The restaurant provides a high-end yet casual dining experience for the growing number of young professionals coming to Seattle and doubles as a place to gather in the late evening for cocktails and small bites.
Toulouse is decorated with hand-cut tile floors and glossy inlaid-wood tables. Walls are plastered in rustic layers that catch and hide the evening candlelight, and gorgeous floor-to-ceiling windows wrap the restaurant corners. During breakfast, a flood of daylight provides the perfect brunch atmosphere.
The breakfast menu has seven different types of Eggs Benedict along with about a dozen other egg dishes, plus carb-worthy favorites such as pancakes, biscuits and beignets. The Crème Caramel French toast is adorned with chocolate, strawberries and pecan butter and is excellent for satisfying any sweet tooth. At lunch, sandwiches, grilled plates and pastas augment a list that includes many of the soups, salads, charcuterie, meats and seafood served at dinner. Prime steaks are added to the dinner menu. As always, ask for an extra side of cornichons, the French cousin of the gherkin.
Favorites:
Classic Buttermilk Pancakes with whipped butter and maple syrup ($9)
Eggs Hussard - perfectly poached eggs over a bed of Snake River Farms Ham and toasted split English muffin, dressed in Veal Shallot Pan Sauce creating an whirlwind of rich creamy flavor and texture ($19, only $15 during happy hour)
Crispy Fried Chicken Gumbo with plenty of andouille sausage, plump shrimp bathing in a warm stew
Cured Pork Cheeks Confit Hash that’s juicy, tender, mixed in a bed of greens and cooked apples, topped with two eggs ordered your style (I chose sunny side up). Cubed and lightly fried potatoes are served with all Eggs Benedict and most breakfast dishes. The textures & flavors do not disappoint. ($19)
Toulouse Petit is often packed. Be bold and call to a server if you have a request or inquiry. The team is more than obliged to provide assistance. Weekend reservations are highly encouraged.
Weekend evenings are overflowing with drinking and dancing, and the daily happy hour shifts are offered only at the bar. To complement the Bourbon Street inspired atmosphere, order a Hurricane and watch the evening ensue.
Photo credit: Toulouse Petit
