Park Cafe - 2nd visit

On a Friday, the neighborhood around Park Cafe was respectively parked-up, but again, I procured my favorite parking spot between the dumpster and a barrel of fryer oil. I was greeted by their kind manager/sommelier, who situated me at a two seater in what may have been a small study or library. I realized that I had no romantic affinity towards this room; there were other realms of Park Cafe that were better suited for love (Atmosphere for romance -1). I will say it again, the staff at Park are a great group, they are polite, laid back, engaging, personable, knowledgeable, comical, and whatever else is GOOD. My server and I quickly hit it off, and we were off, on to the meal (Waitstaff enthusiasm +1).

That night I had three glasses of wine, but not in succession, simultaneously. Acquired first was a Sauvignon Blanc, then two Pinot noir joined the party soon after. I started with the modestly deemed, “cafe salad”.

Cafe Salad, artisanal greens, cornbread croutons, spiced pecan, ginger peach vinaigrette $5.50 added crispy goat cheese $1.50
This salad was so close to being coherent, but didn’t quite get it together for me. From what I can remember, the ginger peach vinaigrette had no hint of ginger (Flavor pairing fundamentals -1) and the cornbread croutons were texturally in a bad place between cornbread and crouton; a sort of ‘staleness’ (Texture profile -1). The spiced pecans were actually ‘spicy’ pecans; SO spicy that the rest of my meal was tainted by the lingering heat (Flavor pairing fundamentals -1). The crispy goat cheese was crispy and cheesy but lacked a connection to the dish. The presentation of this “house” salad was less interesting (Presentation -1). The greens with the peachy vinaigrette were refreshing. And all else worked well on paper; it was a nice sounding dish.

REVAMPED Cafe Salad, baby lettuces, cornbread croutons, candied pecan, ginger-peach vinaigrette $5.50

IMHO I would lose the word artisan in the description, it doesn’t really mean anything to me. I understand the greens were probably hand planted and harvested locally, but it’s just basic agriculture, there is no real specialized craft there. The croutons needed a nice deep frying; cornbread just doesn’t get crunchy without it. The spiced pecans would have been fine with a very mild heat, but I think taking them to the sweeter side would have allowed them to play with the others. And finally, the vinaigrette just needed more kick from the ginger.


That evening I discussed wine with two servers and the sommelier. It was agreed upon that a particular Pinot noir would be best paired with my main course, the braised duck leg with raspberry-beet reduction. But I had some notion that pairing this seemingly sweet and fruity duck preparation with Pinot noir would be fundamentally wrong. But I went with the suggestion and put my palate to work. Half of the components of this duck dish would have gone marvelously with any Pinot noir; braised duck leg, mushrooms, greens, garlic, onions, and even the beets. But with the addition of raspberry, sweet potato gnocchi, and sugar (I am sure of it), the flavors were just too bold and sweet for a Pinot noir (Beverage pairing -1). I was served a second Pinot noir to try, but it’s been so long that my brain and palate have lost connection; I forgot if I liked it or not. Aside from all this wine snobbery, the dish was inherently good.

Braised duck leg with sweet potato gnocchi, cippolini onion, seared mushroom, pecan, greens, raspberry-beet reduction $23 With huge flavor, this home-cooked southern feast, composed itself elegantly onto one plate. There was nothing backyard about this dish, yet its components all could have been found at a bbq. It had candied yams, sauteed sweet onions and mushrooms, collard greens, fruit glaze, and pecan pie. All to accompany some finger-lickin’, fall-off-the-bone duck leg, braised to perfection.

The duck had already fallen off the bone and was homogeneous among the earlier mentioned components... no, it was not a puree, but just too much like potato salad (Texture profile -1). Fortunately these flavors all paired beautifully together; strong enough to stand up against one another in such close quarters. The dish was just a bit too sweet and my palate had a small problem with the combination of raspberry and mushroom. But since all else was incorporated, the taste of this faulty pair was easily disguised. Visually, the colors of this dish were vibrant and warm. This duck dish was good like a sexy, glorified bbq (Dish sex factor +1).

REVAMPED - Braised duck leg with sweet potato gnocchi, cippolini onion, seared mushroom, pecan, greens, pinot noir reduction $23

In my humble opinion, leaving the duck leg whole would have given the components enough separation. Instead of a sweet raspberry beet sauce, a more savory Pinot noir reduction would have added more warmth and complimented the mushrooms, nuts, and greens better.

Strawberry-thyme tart with laurel ice cream $8

This modest tart was covered with a top layer of pastry, voiding its title as a tart (Menu cohesion -1). I believed its identity was closer to a pie or cobbler. This fresh, buttery pastry encased warm reduced strawberries, but no thyme, it needed more thyme. I believe this was the kicker ingredient for me, but it wasn’t kicking. This dessert also lacked acid; without lemon or vinegar and the thyme, there was no brightness (Flavor pairing fundamentals -1). The laurel ice cream was intended to pair with the thyme, but it was just left solo. And solo, it was delicious and perfectly executed.

REVAMPED Strawberry cobbler with lemon thyme ice cream $8
I would have changed the name to ‘strawberry cobbler‘ and added a lemon thyme ice cream to solve the acid problem.

I really liked Park Cafe. The atmosphere was literally homey, the staff were kind, the food was bold, and the prices were very reasonable (Pricing +1). Let’s see how they scored up.


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1. Menu cohesion -1
2. Pricing +1
3. Beverage pairings -1
4. Atmosphere for romance -1
5. Cleanliness 0
6. Waitstaff competence 0
7. Waitstaff enthusiasm +1
8. Overall management 0
9. Flavor pairing fundamentals -3
10. Flavor pairing originality 0
11. Texture Profile -2
12. Use of "easy-pleasers" 0
13. Use of salt 0
14. Doneness precision 0
15. Dish sin factor 0
16. Dish sex factor +1
17. Presentation -1
18. Dish practicality 0
19. Healthful dish execution 0
20. Kitchen speed 0

1st visit (100-4 = 96)
2nd visit (96-7 = 89)
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Park Cafe - first 1/2 visit

I had driven to where a short lineup of restaurants reside in a ‘residential-feeling’ neighborhood of Sylvan Park. Located in an area where it is common to park on someone’s lawn on a busy night. I ended up wedging my car between a few barrels of fryer oil and a medium-sized dumpster behind the restaurant.

Amidst an upstanding taco joint, a homely Italian restaurant, and your average bread and cheese pub, was Park Cafe. Park Cafe was open Monday, and respectably slow. Eagerly, their staff welcomed me into their home-converted restaurant. Put in the most exaggerative way, the interior felt like the backstage of a strange theater set; a maze of rooms and hallways, each with a quirk of their own. I was seated in a reduced-capacity renovation, of what looked to be the original dining room; now, an inoperable water fountain adorned with plastic plants centered itself in the space. This hub led to several other dimensions of reality; a dark, empty room flaunting bold artwork was to my south. I felt the twisted romance of dining alone.

Park’s semi-cohesive menu has reasonable pricing. Main course dishes are in a modernized French style and appetizers tend toward Italian. An underlying southern flare peaks through in many dishes including the shrimp ratatouille and roasted chicken with crispy okra and cornbread croutons. The menu features entrees composed of the usual suspects; crustaceans, red meat, fowl, fish, and vegetables all done in a bold preparation. Chef does not skimp on the flavor, but maintains definition among the components in the dish. Bold sauces like Béarnaise, aioli, fruit reductions, cheeses, creamy risotto, and even an Asian-inspired plum sauce accompany main course dishes. The menu is definitely playful and mostly cohesive, but I deduct one point for their inclusion of an Asian-inspired salmon dish (Menu cohesion -1). This just doesn’t play well with the others, and it’s all too common to dress salmon up this way (Flavor pairing originality -1). I skip right to dessert.

'Lemon Icebox Cake' carmel & lemon creme topped with meringue, graham cracker crust, blueberry compote, carmel sauce $7
The description seemed a bit ambiguous, almost misleading; was the graham cracker crust to be on top? I received my icebox cake; a chilled tower of custardy lemon, creamy creaminess, rich caramel, and graham cracker crust... on the bottom. On top, sat what I thought was whipped cream, not a meringue, but I may be wrong... corrections? On top of THAT was the blueberry compote, and unfortunately perched here, was my only qualm. The compote was made from frozen blueberries, which had a terribly flat, chewy texture, and lacked their inherent ‘blue’ flavor (Texture profile -1, Flavor pairing fundamentals -1). The rest of the cake had luscious layers of creamy lemon and caramel. The graham cracker was a crusty vessel for all that sweet fattiness. What else is there to say? it was decadent, sweet, fatty, and mostly executed with precision.

REVAMPED. 'Lemon Icebox Cake' graham cracker crust topped with lemon and caramel cream, meringue, blueberry compote, and caramel sauce $7
My only suggestions would have been to reword the menu description and improve the texture and flavor of the blueberry compote by using fresh berries.

Overall I really liked Park Cafe. Their staff was marvelous, the food was big and bold, the atmosphere was bizarrely romantic, and prices were reasonable. But in the food category, this review only touched upon dessert, so they inevitably scored high. Another one and a half dinners, and this study will be concluded.

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1. Menu cohesion -1
2. Pricing 0
3. Beverage pairings 0
4. Atmosphere for romance 0
5. Cleanliness 0
6. Waitstaff competence 0
7. Waitstaff enthusiasm 0
8. Overall management 0
9. Flavor pairing fundamentals -1
10. Flavor pairing originality -1
11. Texture Profile -1
12. Use of "easy-pleasers" 0
13. Use of salt 0
14. Doneness precision 0
15. Dish sin factor 0
16. Dish sex factor 0
17. Presentation 0
18. Dish practicality 0
19. Healthful dish execution 0
20. Kitchen speed 0

1st visit (100-4 = 96)
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