Park - A Little Bit About a Lot of Things A Little Bit About a Lot of Things

November 26, 2013 Park

It’s weird walking into Park, I kept having flashbacks of crazy nights at the Redline…

The lights are dim and this place has a good vibe the minute you walk in the door. It’s warm and inviting, a great place to meet friends and have a relaxing night out filled with great food and inventive cocktails.

I really like the decor, and it is a complete 360 from what used to be here. Here’s what their website says about them:

“New to Harvard Square in the spring of 2012, PARK is the neighborhood restaurant and bar of today: a vibrant destination for friends, family and acquaintances to linger over lively conversation, playful plates and thoughtful drinks. With a menu full of spirited interpretations on New American classics from Chef Mark Goldberg and an inspired selection of international spirits, wine and beer, guests feel at home in PARK’s rustic-meets-luxe subterranean space accented by soft leather couches & armchairs, bookshelves stocked with vintage titles, reclaimed wood tables, and an impressive collection of artwork and photography from the ‘60s and ‘70s.”

Let’s get to it! Drinks to start! The Old Cuban ($10) Barbancourt Rhum, Lime, Mint, Angostura Bitters, Cava. Delicious!! Light, and a little sweet. They have some really great cocktail choices here. And if you’re not sure what you’ll like, the waiters here are knowledgeable and can explain the flavor profiles of all the drinks you’re thinking about.

Some cheese to go with the bread that came to the table.

The Perfect Day ($10) Mezcal, Grapefruit Liqueur, Lemon, Hellfire Bitters, Lost Abbey’s Devotion Belgian Pale Ale. Has a real smokey flavor from the Mezcal.

The confit chicken wings as an appetizer ($9) with sambal & honey glaze were crispy, sweet with a little bit of heat! Yum!!

The cheese plate ($12) was pretty tasty. The only one I didn’t dig was the blue cheese, and that’s just personal preference…The fig and apricot were nice additions to the board.

And just to go over the top with apps, we had the lobster and crab dip ($12) which was creamy, warm and delicious. Nice flavor, great presentation.

For dinner, I had the pumpkin barley risotto ($17) Seared mushrooms, parmesan, watercress & apple salad. Love the presentation of the dish, there were great flavors and textures throughout this dish. And while I usually don’t do salad, the apples gave a nice sweetness to the dish. I really enjoyed this!

So Park has meat pies of the day ($16) and we were lucky enough to get the LAST ONE!! Today’s was a short rib with white and sweet potatoes.

This is a total stick to your ribs dish. I loved every bite I had of this. It had a really nice flavor profile and was very filling. The crust is almost as important as the filling, and I think they just nailed this dish!

We also ordered the brisket ($19) served with white bean cassoulet, and caramelized vegetables. Another great dish. We were so full after our meal but HAD to have dessert.

Apple Upside-down Cake ($7) served with apple butter and cinnamon ice cream. Pretty darn delicious. The cake was light and not overly sweet and I loved the cinnamon ice cream. Great meal over all, we left feeling stuffed to the gills with delicious food. I would go back for another meal in a heartbeat!

Park

59 JFK Street, Cambridge, MA 02138

http://parkcambridge.com/

Park offers FREE PARKING Sunday–Wednesday with dinner purchase and $2 off Thursday–Saturday at the Harvard Square Parking Garage.