If you can manage to get a table at Toutant, one of the city’s newest restaurants, you’re in luck. That’s because the former Golden Swan has been transformed into a three-story culinary oasis dedicated to southern comfort food, and it’s suddenly on everyone’s radar.
For those who remember the Golden Swan, it was the essence of dive bar. There was nothing to it, but a bar… as ‘divey’ as it gets. That’s one of the reasons that the transformation into Toutant is so remarkable. The place oozes class and style – three floors of it. At the same time it’s not too over the top – Toutant pays respects to the historic building in which it resides. It’s polished, but not too polished. There are reclaimed design features, with brick, wood, metal, which are all tied together with a consistent rustic ribbon. There’s even a library ladder positioned behind the bar, that can be hung on a series of strategically positioned pipes atop the backbar in order to access otherwise out of reach bottles. How cool is that?
Chef-owner James Roberts has thought of every last detail when it comes to the making of Toutant. The indirect uplighting behind the bar looks great at night, as does the exposed rafter ceiling. I think that’s what I like most about the space – it’s not overdone. It’s simple, stylish, moody, comfortable and cozy. Ah, yes, cozy. Due to the layout of the building, the restaurant is narrow. That’s why the decision was made to build out all three floors for bar/dining space. The first floor is a hopping and happening bar that seconds as a dining room because with food this good any seat is fair game for eating. The second and third floors are primarily dedicated to dining, but could also be used for functions.
There is no bad seat in the house, because, once again, the food is darned impressive. After making reservations, I joined a party of four on Saturday night for a round of Toutant feasting. Just looking at the menu, it was hard to decide which directions to go, because when it comes to Southern cuisine in Buffalo, there’s not a lot going on. Where else are you going to go to get buttermilk fried chicken in a setting like this?
It turned out that there was no bad direction when it came to ordering from the menu. The crowd favorites were the chicken, the brisket, the asparagus and the oyster Rockefeller – they were all over the top delicious. The cast iron corn bread and the hushpuppies were also quite good, and helped to round out the meal. It’s been a while since I sat at a table when so much was ordered, and everything was served up close to perfection. Looking at the menu again, there are a number of selections that I still need to try out, considering how good our initial sampling turned out.
Toutant is a great bar. It’s a killer restaurant. And it’s going to be a hot spot for a long time coming. From what I could tell, right out of the gate, the establishment is firing on a heck of a lot of cylinders. It’s hard not to notice that the place is populated by the who’s who of the restaurant industry, which is always a good sign. Servers and bartenders from around Buffalo have not only been paying their respects to the new kid on the block, but also raving about the ambiance and indulging in the food and drink.
James Roberts has accomplished what he set out to do. He has created a classy, approachable dining destination for dinner and brunch. He’s done his part in helping to elevate the dining scene in downtown Buffalo, while bringing a refreshingly new cuisine favorite to the table. As someone who is not originally from Buffalo, he has not only been able to infiltrate the food scene, he’s been able to somehow commandeer it at the same time. Here’s to Toutant!
Toutant | 437 Ellicott Street | Buffalo, NY 14203 | (716) 342-2901 | Facebook