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This is Fred Ball for Zions Bank, speaking on business.
After returning from a trip to France, Eric Debonis felt that Salt Lake was missing something. That something, he told me, was a French bistro, "in all its true glory." The traditional French bistro, said Eric, is a friendly neighborhood-gathering place, where people go to have a good time, eat great food and be with friends.
A year and a half ago, Eric opened the Paris Market and Bistro on the corner of 15th East and 15th South in Sugarhouse. From the beginning, Eric meant for the Paris to be special, the culmination of a life dedicated to food, wine and culture.
Eric's been in the restaurant business before. As he started making plans for his newest restaurant, he felt that the concept of the French bistro would be better understood and embraced by the community if the restaurant were somehow rooted in the history of the city. Many of the ideas for the exterior and interior designs of the building came after searching through the archives of the Salt Lake Historical Society. Consequently, the name "Paris" refers to the city in France, as well as to Salt Lake's old Paris Department Store. Dinner at the restaurant is meant to give customers a taste, not only of great French food, but also of historic Salt Lake City.
The two buildings occupied by the Paris Market and Bistro were once a grocery store and a corner drug store with a soda fountain. Eric had the original storefronts recreated with expansive glass and embellishments, sprawling awnings and cascading flowers. A zinc bar made in Paris, France pays homage to the old soda fountain that used to fill the space.
Ordering food at the Paris is a cinch. You can't go wrong. All of their menu items are made from scratch at the time they are ordered. At this Saturday's Small Business Celebration, the Paris will participate with the other restaurants in the neighborhood by providing a special food item as part of a "progressive dinner."
For Zions Bank, I'm Fred Ball. I'm speaking on business.
