Disclaimer: Before writing our post about Buffalo Proper last year, we felt the need to pre-empt our post with a disclaimer. Due to our close relationship with James and Connie Roberts, we felt the need to write another before our first blog post about Toutant (btw, expect one for Marble + Rye next month too). Both Alli and myself are very good friends with the Roberts family, heck, we even live down the street from them. We have followed the progress of Toutant for well over a year. We’ve taste-tested early versions of biscuits, visited the construction site on several occasions and have been cheering them on with full enthusiasm the entire time. We couldn’t be more excited for this restaurant to open and wish them all of the success in the world. So yes, we might have a bias, but we are completely sincere when we say that we are pretty damn confident that Toutant will quickly become Buffalo’s most popular new restaurant.



Quick Facts: Toutant is a contemporary Southern restaurant from Chef James Roberts, the former Executive Chef at Park Country Club. Named after the South Louisiana fishing and trapping camp that belonged to Chef Roberts’ great-grandfather, the three story restaurant is located on 437 Ellicott Street in the former Golden Swan and has gone through an extensive renovations process. The atmosphere and ‘feel’ of the restaurant are immediately apparent and welcoming, Connie Roberts (a graphic designer by trade) has done a really great job creating a brand. The exposed brick and use of reclaimed wood really compliments the southern hospitality vibe perfectly. The restaurant now houses a long first floor bar, a large whiskey collection that requires a library ladder to reach, two kitchens, a dining room on the second floor and a private dining room on the third. In true James Roberts fashion, almost everything on the menu is made in-house, including all of the rolls/biscuits/bread, sausage, bbq and country ham, pickles, bacon and even the hot sauce. Seafood will be flown in on a weekly basis from the Gulf. The kitchen is dedicated to using fresh, local and seasonal ingredients in as many dishes as possible.

Toutant will be open for dinner Thursday through Monday along with a brunch service on Sunday. The menu is split up into small plates ($4-$14), supper plates that are big enough to share ($8-$28) and sides ($4-5). The vibe is casual and the food is high quality but accessible, with something to please everyone. We strongly suggest making a reservation if you are planning on eating there in the near future.

Our Meals: We visited Toutant two nights in a row (yup, it’s that good). On the first night we brought along Alli’s family for a large meal and on the second night we simply sat at the bar and tried the dishes we were too full to eat the night before. The bar is headed by Jeff Yanuzzi, who has cut his bartending teeth underneath Tony Rials at Mike A’s at the Lafayette and has crafted an impressive whiskey collection (with more to come) and a concise beer list. On our first visit we started off with some drinks at the bar, sampling their banana rum daiquiri (they have a daiquiri machine to hold their own seasonal fruit blends) and shaken hurricane (this ain’t Pat O’briens mix, there’s real juice in this baby) as well as their exciting cider collaboration with Leonard Oakes. Called Sidredoa, it’s a Spanish/French cider mixture that tastes more like a sparking wine then any cider you’ve had before, dry yet incredibly crisp and a little funky (in a good way). The rest of the bar menu includes an impressive whiskey list, a very well curated craft beer selection, an outstanding Sazerac as well as other Southern inspired cocktails (Vieux Carre, Mint Julip).

After admiring the bar with custom shelving from Wrafterbuilt, we eventually made our way to the second floor and in typical Buffalo Eats fashion, proceeded to order way too much food. The Hush Puppies (filled with ramps and blue crab) were an excellent start; fluffy deep fried pillows that were served with a side of house made ranch. The Cast Iron Cornbread was served hot in a skillet. The crispy parts on the bottom were fought over. The American Country Ham is cured in-house (duh) and will fulfill your salty-porky dreams. Robert’s smoked Andouille Sausage has always been a huge hit with my in-laws and now you can find out why. The current Seasonal Vegetable side included sauteed ramps and baby broccoli that was so good, Alli ordered it again on our second visit. The stars of the first meal, however, were the Biscuits and Gravy (with two fried eggs) and close-your-eyes-good Buttermilk Fried Chicken. While promoting Toutant, Chef Roberts hasn’t been shy about his biscuit and chicken game, heck, he even has a Hot Biscuits sign in the third floor window! Even after all of the hype, they were even better than we expected. Two fluffy butter biscuits topped with savory sausage gravy and fried eggs is Alli’s dream dish and for just $8, it’s a steal. While the biscuits may be Alli’s favorite, in my opinion, the fried chicken is the real show stopper. Everyone at our table stopped what they were doing when that chicken hit the table. With all due respect to everyone else trying to do fried chicken in Western New York, no one is even close. The meat is incredibly moist and tender and the crispy skin just explodes with flavor and just enough of a spicy kick to have you craving more. We destroyed two orders.

A normal human being would have called that a night but since they have Beignets on the dessert menu, we powered on. These freshly fried donuts covered in heaps of powdered sugar are something that ever single diner will enjoy. The Brown Butter Ice Cream was described to us by our waitress as ‘like no other ice cream you’ve had’ and she was right, the nutty flavor was incredibly unique and the texture was denser than expected but weirdly enjoyable. The Cafe Au Lait is also a can’t miss.

On the second night, Alli and I decided to explore the rest of the menu. We started with Blue Crab Bisque and a half order of the Muffaletta, both of which continued to blow our minds. The bisque had a generous amount of crab meat, several pieces of ‘crab cracklings’ and a decadently creamy broth that had just the right amount of spice. The Muffaletta was also fantastic. The half serving is more then enough for one to eat and is loaded with cured meats, pickles, olives and melted cheese on house made bread. We finished with an order of the BBQ of the day (brisket) and the Fried Shrimp Po Boy. The brisket had a really nice fatty flavor, aided by the tangy and peppery BBQ sauce and in true southern fashion, was served with white bread and pickles (again, both made in-house). The po boy was gigantic. As it was delivered to the bar, there were several audible moans from those around us and a few ‘oh my god, we need to order that’. It was insane, the freshly baked roll had just right amount of crunch and it was filled with an overly generous amount of deep fried shrimp. I will order that at the bar often.

Summary: All bias aside and with incredibly high expectations, Alli and I were still blown away by both meals at Toutant. It’s still very early, but the service was already impressive. Our waitress and the bartender were professional but warm and friendly. Dining Manager Jessica Railey (formerly of Vera Pizzeria) has done a great job preparing the wait staff. The kitchen is already running like a well oiled machine, thanks in part to Chef de Cuisine Joseph Fenush who has done a great job training a kitchen staff that works across two floors. Our food on both visits came out quickly but well paced and we heard similar praises from our friends. Chef Roberts is easily one of the most talented Chefs we know and we have been waiting for years for him to step away from the Country Club and into the spotlight so we could enjoy his food on a regular basis. Words cannot express how excited we are for the public to finally get to experience the magic he is capable of creating in his kitchen.

Buffalo, are you ready? Run, don’t walk. Reservations start Thursday, May 14th.



Can’t Miss Dish: Everything is great but c’mon, it’s the Fried Chicken (and the Biscuits).

Other Coverage: Buffalo.com, Buffalo Spree, Buffalo Rising

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