Park At This Place
Park Place
41 Covert Ave., Floral Park
(516) 775-9004
Cuisine: Creative American
Hours: Lunch and Dinner 7 Days
Credit Cards: All Major
Parking: Street
Reservations: Recommended
parkplacefp.com
I’ve always been a foodie, and my life has revolved around food from as far back as I can remember. When you stumble upon one of those few, but far between great restaurants in your own town, it’s a real treasure.
Fortunately for my belly and the friend whom I was with we would soon become well acquainted with this hidden gem that resides in Floral Park – Park Place.
Upon entering the establishment created by restaurant owners Carlo and Sergio DeCiantis, I instantly felt a warm vibe as if I was right at home. From the soft colors that wrapped the restaurant, to the upscale sports bar that could entertain any enthusiast, Park Place felt like my type of place.
Chef Martarana felt the need to create a tasting menu of some of his best dishes that he had to offer. This made me happy because I probably would have spent the next 20 minutes drooling over the menu once again trying to decide what to eat.
Freshly shucked Malpec Oysters served with a homemade Jalapeño mignonette (a special for the day) was followed by beef short-rib spring rolls, filled with sweet succulent tender marinated short rib which was wrapped in its light and crispy shell accompanied by a carrot and cabbage slaw. The dish wouldn’t have been complete without the spicy remoulade dipping sauce that accompanied it. After just a few bites I was sent into a state of food bliss.
Shortly after we were introduced to spinach and artichoke-stuffed wontons that were accompanied by salsa, and a parmesan sauce to dip. The next two items were the homemade roasted butternut squash ravioli, served over a brown butter, sage parmesan sauce where my friend and I found each other fighting over the last pieces. Next came small tacos which were filled with a tuna ceviche served over a perfect amount of guacamole and topped off with a spicy jalapeño.
Since we liked the spring rolls so much, the next item, traditional braised short-ribs served with a tomato demi-glace accompanied by cippolini and homemade gnocchi, was the perfect upgrade. The meat was perfectly tender and soft. It melted in my mouth.
But we were far from done. Fried chicken, lamb chops, cavetelli, and lobster mac and cheese were swiftly placed down at the table. We didn’t know where to begin, but considering meat gets cold the fastest we started out with the lamb chops which were crusted with a Dijon herb breading. The meat was placed atop chopped bacon, asparagus, and potatoes. The tastes blended perfectly with each other, complimenting each bite as I got down to the bone. The cavetelli was served in a mushroom cognac cream sauce with some hot Italian sausage. The richness and creamy texture of the sauce, followed by the spicy kick from the sausage was a wonderful combination paired with the al dente cooked noodle.
Each dish was more creative than the next, and soon we were filled to the brim.
Almost.
Before I knew it we were staring down a small stack of deep fried Oreos served with vanilla ice cream. The other dessert was a spin on a French favorite, crème brulee, but in this case, an extraordinary peanut butter version.
Park Place should definitely be next on your restaurant list of places to go to. It offers a wide variety of dishes that could satisfy any person’s hunger and desires. Its warm cozy atmosphere makes you feel like it’s your home away from home. I know I’m already planning my next trip back.
–Eric Nussbaum