Dining Guide

Brasserie du Parc

Philippe Verpiand, the owner of Etoile, has opened this airy, industrial-chic space in One Park Place, opposite Discovery Green. And the menu, though not a cloned copy of its sibling, offers many of the same dishes, sometimes a few bucks cheaper and, alas, sometimes less successful. Rich ravioli stuffed with mushroom—perfect at Etoile—came off barely heated here, and the mussels in creamy white wine broth were not quite as luscious. Still, we dug in happily to wild boar Bolognese over linguine and a crepe stuffed with salmon and crab in a saffron velouté. We wish they would sub some great bread for the so-so rolls, but even with a few (hopefully temporary) problems, a French restaurant is a welcome addition to the downtown dining scene.