Parker's Downtown

Last night, Mr. H and I found ourselves at the brand new Parker's Downtown in The Kimpton Schofield Hotel across the street from Heinen's on East 9th.

Now, valet parking is $20* (yikes), but you can usually find a spot in a nearby parking lot/garage, or if you're lucky...snag a meter on the street, like we were able to do.

*Editor's Note: The restaurant contacted me and clarified that valet parking is discounted to $12 for restaurant guests. We did tell the valet attendant that we were headed to the restaurant, and he quoted us $20. So just beware, and know in advance to question it if they don't offer the discounted rate.

The restaurant calls itself "classic American" with a field-to-plate philosophy. My impression of the menu? Not overwhelmingly large, varied, and about 2/3 of the mains ($15 - $40) were tempting me. A good sign.

Mr. H went with the Parisian Gnocchi ($17), a daily preparation. That night, it was a vegetarian version, and it was so creamy and rich that I couldn't help but steal TWO bites of it. It had broccoli rabe and mushrooms, all soaking up the cheesy sauce that had a touch of BBQ sauce in it. It really gave the sauce a hint a sweetness to it that was quite good.

I was torn between the Smoked Pheasant ($30) and the Roasted Pork Belly ($22). I let our server choose, and she said that the Pork Belly was one of her favorite dishes. The menu listed it with ash ravioli, parsnip, miso broth, brussel leafs, and gremolata.

The pork belly had a crisp outer layer, pulled apart easily, and the fat just melted in my mouth. The miso broth was nice, and the whipped parsnip really brought it together. But, try as I could, I could not find the ash ravioli on the plate. So, I asked.

The manager came over and explained that the ravioli just wasn't holding up the way that the chef wanted, so they had removed it from the dish and an updated menu was coming out next week. They've only been open about two months, and the chef is tweaking the dishes as needed. I totally appreciate that he's not going to serve something if it isn't up to his standards. I appreciated the explanation, and was glad that I wasn't crazy and just didn't see it on the plate.

Service and wine/cocktail menu were both really good. No complaints here, and I'll go back. I really do love when hotels kick their restaurants up a notch. Cleveland is doing alright in that area. When you travel, you really do appreciate how fortunate we are to have some good restaurant options within hotels here. Add this one to the list.

Parker's Downtown
2000 East 9th Street
Cleveland, OH 44115
216-357-3250