There is a chance already that you have delved into one of their decadent delights, or experienced their modern restaurant service once a week at the Farmers Markets in Downtown Paris.
But for those that haven’t, your time to delve into the tastes of the world is here as Street Eats Artisan Street Food is set to open this Thursday at their new location at 127 Lamar Ave in downtown Paris.
“Most of us will never have the opportunity to travel to some of these food destinations. It is our hope to provide Downtown Paris with a location where we can all enjoy the flavors of the world,” said owner Audie Earley.
What began as a food truck business in 2016 has flourished to a walk-in restaurant like the one you would see or experience along an esplanade across the world in a thriving tourist destination.
After securing an ever expanding fan base Street Eats from set ups at various local festivals and events; it was Paris that secured a home for the popular food artists.
“We found a home at the Paris Farmer’s Market and began setting up on Saturday mornings serving our unique blend of Street Food,” said Earley, “and after attending the planning sessions last year for the revitalization of our downtown, we knew we wanted a shop downtown.”
“We were fortunate that one of our customers from the Farmer’s Market had a similar vision for downtown and loved our Gelato. Glee Emmite purchased a building with plans for an Airbnb loft apartment. Her vision also included a Gelato Shop for the first floor. She began renovations and several months later, here we are,” he explained.
Earley’s vision for his shop is to take customers on a food journey by offering different street foods from around the world.
One such offering is a treat made famous at the Minnesota State Fair… Fudge Puppies.
“Our version is a Belgium waffle on a stick served with your choice of caramel, chocolate, or strawberry sauce..all homemade and topped with fresh homemade whipped cream, fresh fruit, or candy bits,” he explained.
The next street food developed was their unique take on Street Corn; “We start with a fresh roasted ear of corn, and coat it with our homemade elotes sauce made with our own blend of freshly ground chili powder. We then coat it with a layer of Cotija cheese, and finally sprinkled with a bit of chili lime.”
How about some Gelato, a quick culinary trip to Italy can be taken from downtown as the decadent cold desert is housemade with that same heart that is seen in the European country.
“Gelato is ice cream made the Italian way. A lower fat version of typical ice cream, Gelato is made with fresh ingredients with specialized equipment to give it the proper texture and taste,” he said, adding, “all of our Gelato is made fresh weekly with ingredients processed in house using our own homemade recipes. Unlike some chain Gelato shops, we do not use any industrial supplied mixes in our product. We have fresh fruit on Tuesday and Gelato on Wednesday.”
Finally, it’s their take on a famous dish from south of the border that is set to pack the house during the lunch run.
“Gourmet Tamales,” Earley excitedly said, “These are not your typical pork with red sauce or chicken with green sauce tamales. We see our Tamales as a palate that gives us the opportunity to introduce even more flavors from around the world. We
have a Roasted Corn with Hatch Chili Tamale that takes you to the American Southwest, a Carolina Pork Rib Tamale inspired by the mustard based sauces from South Carolina, Jamaican Jerk Chicken Tamales invoking images of sandy beaches and the sound of steel kettle drums, and finally our Moroccan Chicken Tamales.”
This North African flavor is made with fresh roasted chicken, green olives, citrus, dried fruit, and our homemade Ras el Hanout spice. Ras el Hanout translates to “head of the shop” and literally means the best spices a shop has to offer.
Most of us will never have the opportunity to travel to some of these food destinations. It is our hope to provide Downtown Paris with a location where we can all enjoy the flavors of the world.
“We are proud of all our food, but if I had to choose it would be our Gelato and Tamales. Both foods provide us with the opportunity to be extremely creative. Taking flavors from different cultures and fusing them together to create something unique is a true joy,” he added.
When it comes to patron experiences and the vibe they are set to enjoy Earley said he would consider his place to be a fast casual dining experience.
“Our customers will place their order and be served at the counter. We want to keep the street vendor atmosphere where you place your order and can see your food being prepared in front of you,” he explains, “We will have seating for around fifteen people in the shop. But, with it being Street Food, we hope that once you get your order, you will have the urge to take a stroll down the streets of Downtown Paris and see what other businesses and locations have to offer.”
Located at 127 Lamar Ave. Between Smoking Hot and Tresors de Paris, you can pop in for a treat on Thursday and Friday from 5pm to 9pm, and Saturday from 11am to 10pm
