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| - My husband and I went to Parker's last night for dinner before the Cavs game (game time 7:30pm on a Saturday). We made reservations via Open Table in the mid-afternoon, and our seating options were 5:00pm or 6:45pm. We normally wouldn't eat so early, but we took the 5:00pm seating because we really wanted to try this place.
When we arrived, we were greeted warmly by the two young hostesses. The bar had a handful of people sitting at it, as did the lounge area directly behind the hostess stand. We were offered a seat by the front windows facing the street or a table in the lounge area. We opted for the table with the windows. The vibe of this place seemed trendy, but not overly so. We definitely felt underdressed in our Cavs gear, but we usually don't go fine dining in t-shirts and jeans. Our server, Michael, was great and arrived at our table promptly with dinner and drink menus. He was extremely friendly and assisted with menu selections.
I had a glass of the Dante Cab, and my husband had "The Professor" (Bulleit Rye, Smoked Lapsang Souchong Tea, Toasted Clove, Peychaud's Bitters, Orange Peel, Star Anise, Laphroaig Mist). I'm not a huge mixed drink fan - but my husband is - and he was very satisfied with his drink and the drink menu itself. Before we ordered food, he said he'd like to return another time just to try more cocktails!
I started with the cauliflower soup (with king crab, tarragon, curry oil), which I thought was outstanding. The portion was larger than I expected (this is not a small cup of soup!); however, I licked the (large) bowl clean! The soup was a perfect temperature and texture - warm and velvety on a snowy night, and the crab and curry oil made elevated the soup from what could have been a run-of-the-mill starter. My husband started with Parker's Wedge (bacon, tomato, egg, onion straws, blue cheese), which he also enjoyed. The salad was presented a little more deconstructed than most wedge salads I have seen, but it looked delicious. My husband cleared his plate.
For my main meal I had the shrimp and grits (chorizo, pepper conserva, 45 minute egg, aged cheddar). After my first bite, my very first thought was, "this tastes like breakfast". The sausage is crumbled within the cheesy, cheddar grits, and the dish is topped with an egg. It was absolutely delicious - do not get me wrong - but definitely tasted like an upscale brunch item. Oddly enough, it does not appear to be served on their brunch menu!? Parkers should definitely consider adding this! In any case, I again cleaned my plate.
My husband had the pork shoulder (collard greens, sticky rice, adobo). At first glance, I was like, "Wow, that pork looks DRY and that rice looks BLAND". Based on appearance, I thought the shrimp and grits "looked" better. My husband; however, ensured me the dish was moist and flavorful. I took a bite, and agreed. He ate every bite (except the one I stole).
As my husband and I have a half-season of Cavs tickets, I'm sure we'll return to Parkers - if not for another full sit-down meal, at least for the drinks. We've heard some outstanding things about their burger, and are anxious to try on a future visit. Additionally, we found out valet parking is $12 with a receipt. Had we known this ahead of time, we would have totally valet parked instead of paying the $20 for special event parking for the game!
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