After a long work week, the last thing I want to do is cook for myself so I decided to take a trip to Park Avenue Tavern. I was given the opportunity to try out some of the menu items and think I might have found my new Friday night dinner spot.
Where Is Park Avenue Tavern?
Park Avenue Tavern can be found just a few blocks away from New York City's Grand Central Station. Park Avenue Tavern, located at 99 Park Avenue, provides patrons with NYC's classic elegance alongside outstanding hospitality.
How's The Atmosphere?
The atmosphere of Park Avenue Tavern was one of the elements of the dining experience that I enjoyed the most. Patrons could be seen standing and sitting both enjoying drinks, food and each others company. The bar area was filled with many people, most of which looked like businessmen and women.
I sat in a table right to the side of the bar and near the window which overlooked the busy city sidewalk. It was a little loud and chaotic with several conversations going on and servers walking around, however, I think that added to its charm.
What's On The Menu?
Park Avenue Tavern is open for lunch, brunch and dinner and offers a late-night menu until 1am from Tuesday through Saturday. I went for dinner so I am going to talk on behalf of my experience. The dinner menu included appetizers, salads, burgers, entrees, sandwiches and sides.
For an appetizer, I tried the NYC burrata and buffalo chicken dip. The burrata was served with fig jam, prosciutto and focaccia. I decided to put the jam on the bread and topped it off with some cheese. The crunch of the bread, the texture of the cheese and the sweetness of the fig jam all created the perfect bite. I've never had an appetizer that wasn't what I could categorize as 'party food,' but this was incredible.
The buffalo chicken dip was also tasty. The dip was creamy, cheesy and spicy which is what any good buffalo dip should be. I'm not a fan of spicy food so I couldn't eat that much, but for the few bites I did take, I was impressed. I liked the dip because it had a lot of chicken in it and was not overpowered by the cheese which I sometimes find at other restaurants.
For an entree, I tried the Adult Spaghetti O's. I was extremely excited to try this because I grew up eating these circle shaped pasta noodles. According to the menu, the dish consists of meatballs, tomatoes, anelli and cultured butter. I was impressed with the consistency of the pasta and the sauce, which had a meaty flavor.
I also was able to try the grilled cheese and tomato bisque. This was what I would consider an upscale grilled cheese, but I couldn't get enough. The red onion marmalade gave it sweetness that I didn't even know I needed.
Now on to my favorite part of any meal: dessert. I was expecting to get dessert, but I was offered so I really couldn't turn it down. My thought process was if everything else was so incredibly delicious, the dessert would be the same way.
For dessert I tried the chocolate chip cookie skillet. The skillet consists of a chocolate chip cookie, vanilla ice cream, chocolate sauce and white chocolate almond streusel. The cookie was warm and gooey and paired perfectly with the ice cream. I thought the almond streusel was oatmeal at first, but I knew that wasn't the case after trying it. This was one of the best cookie skillets I've ever had.
Overall Thoughts
I was very impressed with the service and food at Park Avenue Tavern. As a college student, some of the items on this menu are expensive, but the atmosphere, service and quality of food justify the price point.
To learn more about Park Avenue Tavern, check out their website and follow them on Instagram: @ParkAveTavern.