Just behind Sport Burger at Central and Hillside sits a two-story pink-and-white house that contains one of Wichita’s hidden gems. The business inside is called The French Tearoom, and owner Mariama Beemer quietly opened it last year. She gutted the house and transformed it into a Parisian delight, filling it with Victorian furniture and carefully curated antiques, and now she’s offering traditional afternoon teas there by reservation. Check out my story atDining with Denise to see photos of Beemer’s transformation of the 1920s house and to learn details about how to enjoy tea, tea sandwiches, scones and pastries at her charming tea room.
The French Tearoom, by the way, is one of many local eateries putting on special food-and-drink events for Mother’s Day, which is rapidly approaching. Though Beemer is offering traditional tea service, many restaurants are putting out lavish brunch buffets or serving plated brunches. My annual list of Mother’s Day specials is also on Dining with Denise, so check it out and make your reservations before it’s too late.
Keeping with the French theme, two new restaurants with the same name but different owners are opening in Wichita this month. The first Paris Banh Mi will open this weekend on South Seneca offering Vietnamese banh mi sandwiches, croissants, bubble tea and desserts like cheesecake and macaroons. The second Paris Banh Mi will open in the middle of May at 2350 N. Greenwich, and though it will be run by a different franchisee, it will have a near-identical menu.
