A couple of friends came with me to Parish Restaurant near Inman Park in Atlanta last night. We were a little concerned about some semi-negative reviews we came across, which accused the chicken of being dry, the food inconsistent, and the bread mediocre. We approached, however, with an open mind; as Juliet said, “I look to like, if looking liking move.”
The restaurant is situated in a lovely part of Inman Park, in a clean, smart brick building; parking is by complimentary valet.
PARISH is located in the heart of Inman Park in a historical Terminal Building built in 1890. The only remaining structure from an old pipe factory building had been abandoned for some time. With respect to the building’s fundamental spirit, Concentrics’ Bob Amick and Todd Rushing have restored the building to its original grandeur allowing patrons to relish the antiquated structure as they take in the organically funky vibe found throughout PARISH. The space features fully-restored crown moldings, antique Parisian sconces, red murano chandeliers, vaulted interior brick arches, a walnut and zinc bar, the original tin ceiling, refurbished windows, original exposed brick, a classic raw bar and a Vermont slate roof.
The interior is a beautiful mix: kind of Anthropologie meets New Orleans. Rich wood, sumptuous chandeliers, shabby chic ceiling, warm colors.
There’s a lovely porch in back, downstairs, by the takeout/market. Prices down there were very reasonable, too.
Everything at Parish is made with ingredients from local farms; one of my friends knows the owner of Jenny Jack Sun farms and was pleased to see their grits on the menu. The bread and butter were amazing: freshly-baked, thick-sliced wheat bread with soft butter that was sprinkled with sea salt…um, yes, thank you.
We chose to get several appetizers and one entree; we shared the sausage sampler plate (my favorite), a “picnic plate” (ham, pickled okra, pimento cheese, biscuits), a savory cheesecake (was NOT dessert–it was quichelike), and a HUGE plate of fried chicken with peas, beans and grits.
There was NOTHING to argue with in any of the dishes. We were all in agreement: taste, quality, portion size, presentation were all amazing. The sausage sampler, comprised of three good-sized, hand-formed patties with entirely different flavors and accompanied by chutney, was a standout to me. One of my companions didn’t care for the breading on the fried chicken (too thick for her), but I liked it–it was tasty and not greasy.
Drinks were off the chain, as well. One of the ladies and I had the Bee’s Knees and the Pimm’s Cup and were vastly pleased.
Dessert was lovely; we sampled a s’more-inspired dish and a bread pudding with an AMAZING sweet potato homemade ice cream–my favorite part.
Downstairs is a coffeehouse-like seating area and market/takeout counter that serves sandwiches, coffee, homemade ice cream, chips, wine and some fresh farm products like honey and fruit.
Service was extremely prompt, friendly and informative; our server knew all about the dishes and was able to make recommendations.
I’d absolutely make a trip to Atlanta for this place, and I’d have no reservations about the chicken, bread, butter or anything else!
FoodieVille 
We had dinner in Parish earlier this week and I’m not sure we were at same place.
My hamburger was overcooked, even though I ordered medium at our server’s suggestion. My wife’s catfish was salty and greasy. Everything was too rich and the “fresh local ingredients” were all overcooked and buried in over seasoned rich sauces.
After dinner, we went downstairs and bought whoopie pies and ice cream. The ice cream was old and had separated into ice crystals and chocolate flavoring. The whoopie pies were also old and very stale. We put $17 dollars worth of food down the garbage disposal.
That’s all too bad, because we’ve been wanting to try this place since it opened. Inside, as you know, is beautiful. Our server was excellent and friendly, although she might have steered me wrong on the burger. Even the valet who parked our car was great. The location is very handy for us.
I believe they have a new chef, second one in their short history, and thought they had improved since some early poor reviews. Based on our 3 meals (we had a guest) and takeout from the downstairs market, Parish has a long, long way to go.
There are just too many good restaurants in Atlanta to spend money in a place that can’t pull it off.
L
Thanks for stopping by my place and your kind remarks.
Maybe I should be the one going back for another take as I really wanted this place to be great.
Everything on the menu sounded so good, I was paralyzed with indecision. That’s how I wound up with the hamburger, my usual “go to” meal when I can’t decide. Maybe we simply ordered the wrong thing.
No matter what the food is like, the setting is beautiful. I think the most attractive restaurant in Atlanta.
I’ve seen enough good reviews to make me think our experience might have been out of the norm.
Your fried chicken looked good, maybe that’ll be the next outing.
Cheers
L