The Parkside Fine Food & Spirits occupies the wide first floor of a midblock building in Lauraville. Its ambience suggests a funky antique store that woke up one day to discover it was a restaurant and bar. It's warm and colorful, and there are old furnishings, such as church pews for booth seating. It's yet another amenity for an emerging neighborhood that appears ready and willing to support businesses that respond to its needs and desires. There are so many young families in the northeast corridor, and Parkside means to be a welcoming place for hip parents and children day and night. There's not only a children's menu, but also a separate play and dining area for children and parents. I'd like to imagine that over the years the toddlers will graduate to the grown-up tables, and, eventually, the bar.
This children's lounge separates the Parkside's bar and dining room from an area in the back that sells homemade breads, pastries, deli salads, and the specialty smoked fish and meats that are the Parkside's pride. There are crafts for sale, too, and the area looks a little forlorn. I don't know that it's working. There's certainly plenty of room, but it's something of an energy suck. (As is, the dining room up front is too big.) The back area needs another look, and I think the owners will get around to it. I say this with some confidence because our visits to the Parkside came just before an overhaul of the dinner menu. Some of the dishes remain, but co-owner Chris Cashell said the new menu, likely available now, is more cohesive.
