Marie-Louise Friedland, Contributing Writer, Food Culture
Parkside
301 E. 6th Street
Austin, Texas 78701
512-474-9898
This week, I had the pleasure to dine at Parkside, a local Austin restaurant, that showed me that American bistro fare is clearly leaving its mark on the food industry. Parkside has been featured in magazines such as Texas Monthly, Bon Appetit, and Food Arts, who all tout the easy-going, ingredient-driven nature of this 6th Street bistro.
Executive Chef Shawn Cirkiel has definitely left his mark on the culinary scene in Austin. As a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, Cirkiel has trained in such reputable restaurants as Café Boulud, Domaine Chandon, and Uchi. He has grown a huge fan base for his approach to American cuisine that utilizes only the freshest ingredients at Parkside.
On to my experience at this much talked about 6th Street eatery. I went into Parkside aware of all the press it has received for the food and ambiance. It is a rare thing to have a gastronomical haven down on Austin’s infamous 6th Street, but I was hooked and no number of drunken college kids could keep me away.
As I first stepped in, the exposed brick and metal detailing lent a feeling of industrial, no-frills cooking. The tables were set without linens and had kitchen rags as napkins. The water came in unmarked glass jars. The cutlery was bulky and simple. Everything was designed perfectly to make you feel as if you were in an urban space converted into a land of gourmet food.
The service, which I am a stickler for, was unfortunately not very good. It took about 10 minutes for us to be greeted by our server. From the moment a patron sits down, they should be greeted within one minute, in my opinion. It took some coercing to get our server to give us any kind of recommendation on drinks. I was having a hard time deciding on a glass of wine or one of their scrumptious specialty cocktails. After our server did not offer much help with my decision-making, I decided on a nice glass of Voigner, a classic French white wine. She forgot about my wine order until I asked her about it after we had finished our appetizers. This was a huge let down for me.
But at least the food did not let me down.
We did participate in the Austin Restaurant Week menu to experience a wide variety of what Parkside had to offer. To start off I had the Mini-Oyster Po’ Boy and my friend had the Rabbit Terrine. The Rabbit Terrine as a dish was a bit dry. The farm radish, carrots, and garden herbs piled on top of the terrine which was placed on a piece of toasted country bread just lacked a little moisture. The terrine itself was amazing! What took the cake was the Mini-Oyster Po’ Boy. It was absolutely inventive and cohesive as a dish. It was a deconstructed Po’ Boy and it came served on three slices of baguette topped with a delicately fried oyster, cabbage, mustard caviar, all swimming in a creamy herb remoulade. All the flavors were perfectly balanced but the crowing achievement was the texture. There was crunchy, hearty, silky, creamy, and delicate all in one.
The second course was a mixed bag for me. I ordered the NY Strip and Braised Short Ribs with Sweet Potato Puree and a Red Wine Reduction. The three tiny slivers of meat they called a NY Strip did come out cooked exactly to my specifications although it was a tad on the cool side. The best part of the dish was the Braised Short Rib. It was incredibly tender and moist with the right amount of marinade. The meat sat on top of a sweet potato puree that was just too sweet for me. It overwhelmed the flavor of the red wine reduction. The biggest problem of mine was the whole dish came topped with raw peanuts. They had such a strong flavor that I could not really taste anything else.
My friend ordered the Grilled Salmon atop Brown Lentils with a small cooked Farm Radish. This dish I loved. The salmon was cooked perfectly so it flaked apart without being cut. It was not overly seasoned so I could actually taste the fish, but the best part was the lentils. Brown lentils, when cooked in a restaurant, often turn into a mushy, soup-like concoction. These, however, were firm, earthy, and filling. They were simply prepared with minimal spices to let the flavor shine, and their earthiness really enhanced the salmon.
Of all the things we had at Parkside, the absolute best were the desserts. I ordered the Goat Cheese Cake with Basil Ice Cream and Pinenut Brittle. The basil ice cream was the most pleasant surprise. It was very strong upfront but then the basil melted away into a sweet cream finish. The Goat Cheese Cake had the same transformative power. It started off very sweet but then it transformed into the tangy, slightly sour goat cheese flavor that I’m obsessed with. It was topped with some fresh strawberries that just completed the dish and made it heavenly.
My friend order the Cinnamon Sugar Yeast Donut filled with Brandy Mascarpone accompanied with Maple Ice Cream. I would venture to say this was the best donut I have ever had. It was chewy and dense but not overly sweet. The brandy mascarpone lent a much-needed acidity to the donut. What can I say about the maple ice cream besides that it was the perfect addition to the classic donut.
Overall, I was extremely satisfied with my visit to Parkside. Yes, there are things that need improvement but where is the fun in perfection? I would love to go back when I am not dining for Austin Restaurant Week so I can fully explore their menu. The food lived up to its no-frills American Bistro fare made from the finest ingredients reputation. The Mini-Oyster Po’ Boy, Brown Lentils, Basil Ice Cream, and that Yeast Donut will keep me coming back to Parkside many, many times down the line.
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