Posh Pastries for People and Pups at Parish

On another cool and comfortable early Saturday morning before we were once more oppressed by humidity and relentless sunshine, Beltlandia beckoned me towards Parish: The Brasserie and Neighborhood Cafe. A name evocative of New Orleans, my second love, enticed me to check it out and may have clouded my notions about the restaurant a little. I arrived at the neighborhood cafe in the back just as they opened and it filled up fairly quickly within twenty minutes or so.

Located in Inman Park right off the Beltline, Parish inhabits the repurposed remains of an old pipe factory. While maintaining the industrial integrity of the building with its old brick pillars and exposed pipes, the cafe is equally gussied up with mirrors, inviting handwritten chalk signage, and hanging distressed metal Fleurs de Lis on the ceiling. A giant farmhouse table sits in the middle with space to accommodate a large gathering or to allow strangers to become friends. A vintage sofa sits off to the back with a wicker coffee table that houses games to play while you wait.  Pastry cases flank both sides of the restaurant, offering flaky croissants, brownies, and cookies for humans as well as dogs!

I stared at the menu for a while, unable to decide on what to eat for breakfast because everything sounded intriguing, but I also wanted something I wouldn’t make at home. I wanted to try something special for my post-workout breakfast and had a hankering for protein, so I chose their maple sausage breakfast option. I was recommended their iced chai latte and it was just the right ratio of sweet and spicy. It was difficult restraining myself from drinking it all before my food arrived!

As I waited for my breakfast, I realized that I had gotten to Parish just in time because shortly after I scoped out a comfortable spot, handfuls of people started arriving and lining up at the counter. My breakfast arrived and I honestly didn’t know what I had expected. It was a sandwich on thick ciabatta with a perfect patty of maple sausage topped with a fried egg and a generous amount of peach jam, some deep-fried potato slices, and two housemade dill pickles. The potent flavor of sausage harmonized with the peach nicely and the potatoes acted as kind of a palate cleanser. Negating all the exercise I did that morning, it was a pretty heavy breakfast that kept me full until that afternoon. They do offer lighter fare of different toasts, but I decided to let my stomach do the ordering instead. It was good, but I think I would try something else a little less heavy on my next visit. The maple sausage breakfast sandwich could, and probably should, be ordered with sharing in mind.  

Parish seems to be a popular favorite of Inman Park denizens, and I can totally see why. I look forward to another visit for lunch because they have some enticing salads I would like to try. Had they had them available for breakfast, I frankly would have chosen one of those instead! I would recommend Parish for a brunch date with family or a nice little romantic breakfast for you and your significant other. Parking is very limited behind the restaurant, so carpooling and walking are highly encouraged.