Parker’s with the Parents

~ evanzuzik

So this meal was a get together with my parents for my mother’s bday and my 29B birthday, despite being over a month belated.

My parents came up for a fun Sunday that included a quick jaunt through the west-side market. We tried the jerky that was labeled as on of Michael Symon’s Best Thing I Ever Ate, and it was good for jerky I guess, but I’ve eaten much better things.  We then went to the Rock Hall, where we learned that pretty much any musician can be featured. Taylor Swift and Eminem are pretty obviously not Rock artists, right? We then hit up 16 Bit barcade and played some games. If you go on a Sunday afternoon you will find lots of adults with their parents playing the nostalgic machines. If you have never gone, and you partake in adult beverages, they have a cocktail called the Bill Nye which is rye whiskey based and served in a beaker, and others named after cultural figures from the 90s like Hulk Hogan, Ice T, and Winnie Cooper. My mother, who is not exactly a video-game aficionado (I don’t even remember her ever touching our N64) is a savant at Centipede. #HighScoreJeanne

For dinner, I was really torn on where to go. I like to go to new places, but I also want to show my parents cool places that are different from what they can get back home.  I wanted to do something downtown because I originally wanted to get dessert on E. 4th. I was told to try Parker’s. Since my initial reaction was “what’s Parker’s?” I had to look into it. At the moment they do not have a working website, but it is in the recently refurbished  Schofield Hotel on Euclid, across from Heinen’s/ the 9.

I looked at some reviews and they all said pretty much the same things, praising the food but being a little critical of the sound level. We were going for a pretty early dinner on a Sunday so I was not too concerned about noise.

When we entered I was immediately impressed with the simple, art-deco style interior. It was modern without looking like every other Edison-bulb and reclaimed wood filled industrial restaurant. I loved the light-up Guardians of Transportation, despite the fact they were nearly impossible to photograph. When we arrived there were few people dining, but a pretty large group in the central lounge area. All the hard surfaces and high ceilings did contribute to a lot of sound bouncing around. They need more fabric/heavier curtains or something because I can imagine on a Friday night it is pretty crazy.

Lots of Cleveland photos and artwork. I particularly liked mirrored subway tiles and ceramic floor.  The overall space is very simple and elegant.

The menu features a fair variety of options (however I personally do not like the over-sized, flimsy paper menu when dining somewhere that has $30+ entrees).  Recently, I have been pretty healthy and eating vegetarian/vegan for a majority of my meals. This menu was not really in line with that at all, as there doesn’t seem to be any main dishes that are vegan. I am okay with this since it was a celebratory meal but later on I did not feel like moving much as my body was shocked by all the meat and cream I had consumed 😛

I got the Cauliflower soup to start. $9.  Curry and cauliflower is a combination that will never fail to satisfy. The tarragon was a nice twist and the crab meat added a new flavor. I really enjoyed this, especially dipping the fresh multi-grain bread in it. It was reminiscent of Aloo Gobi, one of my favorite Indian dishes. Even my parents, who for some reason, fail to see how glorious curry is, remarked at the complexity of flavors in this soup. This was creamy, super satisfying dish… and a first look at the large portion sizes of this establishment

The waiter, who was incredibly nice and helpful, strongly encouraged me to order the fried pork chop. I was a little weary since “fried” and “pork” are both words I have been avoiding. It was a good suggestion. The cheese curds and blackeyed peas in the gravy were VERY good.  Also, the portion was borderline comical. It was a huge piece of meat. I ate all I could before passing it off to my parents.  All the portions were very generous, which is nice because sometimes when I take my parents to more upscale Cleveland places we are served tiny little tastes (and then I get to hear alllll about how every restaurant in Youngstown has 7 dollar meals that come with multiple sides).

My dad selected the monkfish, which was actually an item I was looking at. This was a good choice, environmentally. (steps up onto my environmental soapbox… seafood has some issues since some species are unsustainable harvested and others carry risks of mercury, it’s important to be knowledgeable…  Monkfish Fish Watch. ) Monkfish has similarities to lobster. I get the comparison but don’t particularly love lobster, so this dish wasn’t my favorite. The flavor was mild. I did really enjoy how the lemony champagne sauce mixed with the potato croquet that the fish was served on.  The dish wasn’t bad by any means but it did not wow me.

My mother ordered the Chicken pot pie. Now, in the past, I have been very disappointed with reinvented/deconstructed versions of this dish. Sometimes when chefs try to make a comfort food into something upscale it loses the qualities that make it wonderful.

When this came out I was a little confused by the lack of color/vegetables. I really like carrots and peas and this dish seemed to lack both.  However, this dish was amazing. In reality, it was more like a Biscuits and sausage gravy with delicious herbaceous chicken. The leeks and mushrooms just added to the flavor of the gravy. It was soo good. The chicken meat was perfect and not just bland chicken. I made sure there some left over to take home for lunch the next day 🙂

Overall-If you like upscale ingredients, creamy sauces, and big portions, this restaurant will not disappoint.   If you want an intimate/ quiet atmosphere with vegan choices this will not be the best option.  Our waiter was very friendly and the manager (?)  came over many times. Both were very passionate and knowledgeable about the food. I am not sure why this restaurant that opened last summer flew under my radar, but I am very glad I finally tried it.

I did make an OpenTable reservation where I noted we were celebrating my mother’s birthday. It’s not that I was requesting a free dessert or something.  But you only turn 44 once. Or twenty times in this case.  They did use my Opentable information to call me later (my dad left his sunglasses) which was very courteous.

The hotel is rather beautiful and has this neat indoor fire pit with nooks to sit in.

From my weekly Barroco trip. Dan got one of the desserts. It was pretty and messy. You can get an alcoholic version as well. It led me to the realization that all gummy worms should be served with strawberry sauce on them. Probably enough for 3 people, especially after a very hearty Colombian meal.