Park Avenue Winter: why Restaurant Week just isn’t worth it

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Dear Food Diary:

After “that” incident, Restaurant Week left yet another bad impression in me. Mainly because of the disappointments and half hearted attempts served on plates. The purpose of showcasing the establishment has been lost along the way and Park Avenue Winter unfortunately falls under that category.
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Park Avenue Winter, the name alone makes me want to be a regular. The whole concept of changing its name and decor through the seasons tickles the helpless romantic in me.  
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The decor is modern, sophisticated and warm. Interesting pieces hang from above, branches and an minimal amount of flowers surrounds you, while candles lit up the airy dining room without disturbing its hush hush environment.
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The Amuse Bouche came in the form of Potato Croquettes, spicy aioli and chives. It was a pleasant bite, after all potato and deep fried never fails.
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The Porcini Ravioli with Swiss chard, Gorgonzola Cream was a pocket of soft, cheesy, earthy goodness. A good balance of the ingredients and the mushroom flavors took the forefront. A great way to start the meal and open up my appetite!
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For the main, I skipped over pork, skate and steak sandwich (big mistake), in the hopes of finding something different within the Crispy Calamari & Carrot Salad. Did I mention big mistake? This was an appetizer at best and not a very good one. As unimaginative as they could come. In a glass bowl, you have fried calamari and slightly dressed strips of carrots. Just as the name says. Maybe it was my problem for giving them too much credit, but give me a break! Seriously? This is a main course?
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I was happy to see my Frozen Banana & Chocolate Parfait arrive, I was still hungry. Bananas and Chocolate is a classic combo. Creamy, sweet and icy cold. What’s not to like!? Nothing amazing, just good. I devoured it, my tummy seemed half empty though.

This was my last attempt to give Restaurant Week a shot and turns out I was right, it just isn’t worth it. With wine, tips and all, dinner’s usually $50 and above. Maybe I didn’t make the smartest choice for my main dish, regardless, nothing was amazing or worth going back for. But I’ll have to revisit and give it a fair shot, another season, another reason.

Sure, I’ve had some great meals over the years during Restaurant Week, not all are created equal. But overall, the quality and quantity has slipped dramatically and I’d much rather visit the restaurants on a regular night and get a more realistic taste. But if you must, I guess you still have time till Feb 6th (how however long they keep extending it to *rolling eyes*). Happy Eating!


P.S. Chubby’s RATING: 1/2
www.parkavenyc.com/winter/
100 East 63rd St  (at Park Av)
212.644.1900
Park Avenue... (Winter, Spring, Summer, Autumn) on Urbanspoon

2 Responses to Park Avenue Winter: why Restaurant Week just isn’t worth it

  1. Anonymous says:

    I am not a fan of RW anymore either. There are so many deals to be had these days all year round that it is becoming obsolete.

    I went to ilili last night and they actually have a great RW menu with a ton of options.

    Nougatine at Jean-Georges is also really good.

  2. Anonymous says:

    TT yeah, totally agree, there's always great deals around, it is a tough economy…
    sad that RW is just not the same…

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