Last night we dined at Parkside 23 in Brookfield. I was really excited about this trendy place being close to home! Usually we have to drive downtown to have a nice dinner out. This place just opened this week, so I was excited to be among the first to try it. Their fare is focused on local and seasonal dishes. Their website is currently under construction, but you can read a little about the place on jsonline here. Here's the rundown:
Atmosphere: The restaurant had my favorite level of lighting....dim, but not too dim. There was one large room of main seating, then some tables in the bar area, and one more private room of tables. While I was hoping for the bustling seating in the main room, we were seating in the more private room. It ended up being okay, as we were able to talk without shouting at each other. The restaurant was packed, but you didn't feel like you were too close to the people around you. Decor in the restaurant was interesting yet not distracting. I liked the colors (browns, reds, greens) and overall feel.
Drinks: The restaurant had an impressive 18 craft beers on tap. Some things were staples, but some we hadn't heard of before. A nice feature!
Menu: PS23 has a smaller-medium sized menu, which is usually a sign that they focus on what they're good at (you pretty much know all the choices will be delish). The options were tasty-sounding, and they had something for everyone. They break their menu down by price, which the waitress informed us is to help diners choose the right portion. They had everything from salads (with a variety of toppings), to flatbread pizzas, to ribs and duck. They also had a cheeseburger on there in case you're not an adventurous diner. So even though at first I was surprised by the smaller sized menu, I found I was not lacking in choices, and actually had a hard time choosing between four things (rotisserie chicken, fried chicken breast, italian sausage pasta, and four cheese macaroni and cheese). Prices ranged from $5-25. I'd say an average meal was $11-12.
Food: We started off with a shared flatbread caprese pizza. It was really good, although Brad said he would have liked more basil. Both boys had the seared ahi tuna for dinner and thought it was good. It was served over a fresh lettuce salad and a side of vegetables. Brad thought it was a bit on the small side, but he thought the relatively cheap price fit the size. One of our friends had the cobb salad, which included bacon and delicious rotisserie chicken. It was a large size for a salad, so I don't think she was disappointed. I ended up going with the fried chicken breast. It came with a side of spinach salad, mashed potatoes, and cornbread. It was really good, if not slightly greasy (well, it was fried chicken after all).
Service: The service was generally good. No complaints. Our waitress checked on us, but not too soon, after getting our food. Drinks were hand delivered by a man we assumed was the manager or owner. The waitress was able to make recommendations on food options.
Other: The average age of the diners was probably 60. I think that's what you get when you dine in the suburbs. We definitely weren't the only young people in there, but I got the feeling that we were surrounded by rich, old, Brookfieldians. Also, PS23 doesn't take reservations, but I would highly recommend calling ahead. We called at 6:15pm and were quoted a 45 minute wait...however, we probably waited another 15 minutes once we arrived.
OVERALL: An enjoyable experience, especially for the suburbs. Good food, good atmosphere, good menu. I'd recommend trying it! I gave it 3 out of 4 stars, Brad said 2.5 out of 4.
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