Little Park

RESTAURANT WEEK REVIEW
I only focus on the food when I go somewhere for RW since I know I’m not paying for the full package. That being said, the food was the most disappointing part of my experience! I ordered the Crispy Brussel Sprouts which appeared to be burnt-​on-​purpose brussel sprouts. They were really salty and lacked that creaminess that perfectly cooked brussel sprouts are supposed to have.
I moved onto the Hanger Steak which I ordered medium and came out full on pink. What was weirder was that the outside was pinker than the inside. The last piece I cut into was quite red on the outside (but not bleeding) and entirely brown on the inside. Think of a sear, and have the colors be reversed. It was paired with some extremely tart vegetables that didn’t help any. I actually left half the plate. Also, the quantity of brussel sprouts app greatly shadowed the quantity that was on my entrée plate — did not understand that.
Finally, the Apple Cinnamon Donut. This is the menu item I was most excited about, and it was so utterly disappointing. They serve it in a manner that you can’t pick up and just bite into, but the dough is textured so you can’t split it with a spoon or fork. On top of it all is a generous sprinkling of ground coffee, so much so that I couldn’t taste anything else.
The service was nice and the busboy was probably the best since he came to refill my water multiple times. Still, the food was disappointing and I won’t be back.

The place itself is romantic and cute. Overall a good place to stop for a drink! The Bog on Fire was a very tasty drink and highly recommended. The cinnamon was a nice touch on top of a fruity, but strong cocktail.
The food was overall ok. The scallops were smaller than expected and a little gritty and I asked for the grits on he side so I’m not sure what the grittiness was on the scallops. The spinach and mushroom and sauce was tasty and fresh.
The tilefish was a good white flakey fish but it could have had a few species or herbs added for flavor.
The waiter was on top of us constantly which he probably thought he was being helpful, however, when u are having a good conversation with your significant other it is nice to have time and not be checked in on so many times.

The coconut and spelt pancakes are amazing. Do not order the freshed pressed juices, they are an $ 11 rip-​off. The omelet is average.
But the really disappointing experience was that we were really excited to visit this restaurant for brunch to find ourselves in front of a limited breakfast menu to then later finding out that our waiter gave us the wrong menu, so there were actually offering more food that we just didn’t have access to. This has never happened to me in any restaurant ever, and worse even was that when we pointed this out to the waiter he or the restaurant was not even kind enough to offer any type of complimentary treat or something to make up for this awful mistake.

I agree with some previous reviews about the décor of the restaurant. It’s cozy but pretty much feels like a standard hotel restaurant. The food is decent although some things are better than others. I came here with a friend for Restaurant Week Lunch. For appetizer, we order the Kohirabi (turnip like slaw salad) which was very tasty, it was laced with hazelnuts and pear and had great flavor and the Brussel Sprouts which was also very good but nothing out of the ordinary. Our main dish was the artic char, the visual aspect of the dish was quite disappointing, but the taste was very good, which is the most important part. For dessert, the glazed apple donut and the chocolate cake was equally good, both were very rich but had a good balance of flavors. Overall, the food was good, service was okay, and the ambiance could be better.

Restaurant week lunch.
The kohlrabi salad with hazelnuts, which jumped on the spiralizer wagon, was really really good. I also got a taste of crispy brussels sprouts which tasted like literal bacon candy to me. It is too rich and good to be eaten alone. For main my steak had good temperature but one bite I had was pure salt. Cabbage and shallot on the side were nicely cooked and the combination with steak was unconventional but really tasty. Dessert of grapefruit sorbet was a light and refreshing ending to my meal.

Tried this place for restaurant week. Was pretty good. As mentioned by the NY Times review, the vegetable dishes are quite good, far more thought is put into them than most places. We tried the Brussels sprouts and the kohirabi (which was new to me) and they were both excellent. Fish and steak for the main course were solid. Dessert was very good, I really enjoyed the chocolate cake, and the wife liked the apple doughnut, both came with a small scoop of ice cream. Service was good, and the décor is modern.

I have to admit I had never heard of this place until my cousin had suggested it for an impromptu brunch this past weekend.
I was hesitant at first, since most of the items err on the «healthier side». Which is not a bad thing, but I usually like my brunch carb and bacon heavy.
The waiter was friendly and helpful. He was nice enough to ask the bartender to split a the LP Bloody Mary) Vodka, Pineapple, Cholula, mustard powder, caper berry juice) 3 ways as we just wanted to try it. Survey says: it was delicious!
We split 3 brunch items:
Baked eggs (artichoke, lamb chorizo)
ny strip + eggs (polenta, wild mushrooms)
eggs your way (sunny side up, with potatoes)
Also had a side of bread and butter
Everything was SO good. My favorite was the baked eggs which was very similar to shakshuka and, oddly, the toast. It was some sort of grain bread that I could have eaten 8 more slices of.
Would definitely come back!

This subdued spot hits all the right notes. Beautiful vegetable preparations; creative and delicious options in every category; a decent wine list; sophisticated, hip music; attentive service. We will be back regularly.
Ricardo our server needs to explore the menu a bit as he had no helpful opinions or advice on the variations between dishes; however, I am sure that can be remedied easily.

I’ve been to Little Park at least 10 times now as it’s around the corner from my office.
Unfortunately, I have many issues with it but I will point out its few saving graces.
I wish they would change the décor because I find it utterly bizarre. The lobby and basement bar of the Smyth Hotel are so well decorated and have great vibes. I have NO clue why they decided to make Little Park feel like a standard Marriott breakfast room. The environment is sterile and the light fixtures are rather horrendous… I sort of cringe whenever we come…
I have so many problems with the dinner food here. We didnt like one thing we ordered last time and everything was so forgettable. Whats the deal with your boring pasta dishes? The only decent items are the brussel sprouts which I used to order for brunch UNTIL THEY REMOVED THEM FROM THE BRUNCH MENU. Please bring them back, they are epic.
Which brings me to my next order of business: We don’t like anything on the brunch menu except the pancakes, and we’ve tried everything. but the pancakes are a force to be reckoned with. They are the best in the city, no question. We will keep coming back just for the pancakes (and the brussel sprouts if those ever circle back to the brunch menu).

For the price, just very underwhelming. The service was mediocre (the server recommended we each get two plates, which would have been an insane amount of food) and the food was only decent.
The presentation was nice and I like the vibe of the restaurant. But if you’re looking for something special, I’d go elsewhere.

I thoroughly enjoyed the food. The crispy brussels sprouts were well seasoned and delicious. We also got two pastas to fill up on. The lumache was my favorite. I’m not a fan of dry pasta, and this pasta was the opposite of that — a tiny bit soupy, but every bite was flavorful and juicy.
The green spinach pasta left a bit to be desired. I thought the flavors were just okay (slightly bland), and because the dish didn’t have as many dynamic elements in it, I got that feeling you get when you start eating too much of the same thing over and over and feel like you’ve been eating it forever but the plate isn’t getting any smaller.
The long island duck was great. Don’t expect for it to stuff you (it’s not supposed to), but the fatty texture and flavor was very very well done. Yes, two verys.
I could have done without the cinnamon toast ice cream (like cinnamon toast crunch with whole milk ice cream), but my wife and I were very pleased with our meal so we decided to go for it.
Their menu is seasonal, so prepare for change!

Super underwhelmed.
Came here for brunch on a Saturday — restaurant was pretty empty but I did come in with reservations. I didn’t think they had that great of brunch item choices, but here’s what we ordered:
baked eggs artichoke, lamb chorizo $ 16
Reminded me of a shakshuka. Egg was baked really well (yolk was runny), but dish was very one-tone…got tired of it after a couple of bites. I felt like I needed some bread to soak up all the lamb chorizo/​ragu.
english muffin egg sandwich bacon, cheddar, pepper relish $ 14
Literally looked like a McD’s mcmuffin… that’s kinda sad, no?
lumache pork ragu, salumi, crispy herbs $ 18
Much smaller than I thought, considering it’s $ 18. I probably could have made this at home… sigh. But this was OK, probably just not worth the price.
Service was also kind of slow — my friend ordered coffee and asked for milk and water for the table. The waiter came with the water, no coffee. Then came with the coffee, but no milk. My friend had to ask again for the Milk =/​.
The 3 stars are for the awesome chocolate + tea scone that we ordered… or, scone (s) since we ordered seconds after we devoured the first one: D.

Me and my friend went for a Sunday night dinner. It’s surprisingly very very quite/​half empty. The ambience is matching the Thompson Hotel standard: intimate and warm and our server is attentive.
I would have to say it is a little overpriced because the portion is very small. The server recommend 4 – 6 dishes for two people and the average per dish is $ 20… The food isn’t bad but I don’t think it’s worth as much. We had mushroom, scallops, and chicken: the chicken was the most flavorful dish and grabbed my attention the most. Cocktails are also a little over-​priced: $ 18/​drink!
Overall I would go if you want a nice date with quality talks, but not a friends hang out place.

Amazing drinks and the food is always cooked perfectly. I really enjoyed the duck and you need to get the roasted brussel sprouts! Portions are on the tiny side and pricey. Make sure to get reservations since this place gets packed quickly.

KenScale: 8.5÷10
Brunch is always a tricky proposition, with seemingly redundant menus with little room to have creativity from the kitchen. I’ve been to several places from chef Andrew Carmellini for brunch (The Dutch, Locanda Verde and Lafayette), and had very solid experiences, though. What the kitchen from these restaurants may lack in flare due to inherent limitations of brunch, the food has always been consistently well-​executed. Little Park, the newest project from chef Carmellini that I visited earlier this year and really fell in love with, is no exception.
The brunch menu at Little Park can’t get more typical than what you would normally expect from a boring brunch restaurant. Yet, I can’t stop thinking about the yogurt that came with granola, dried fruit and honey. I loved the clean flavor of yogurt that mixes beautifully with the crunchy texture of granola and dried fruit. I would certainly eat bruleed Florida grapefruit every day for breakfast, with fresh grapefruit and delightful crust on top working harmoniously. Pancakes with blueberries and vanilla are made with coconut and spelt, and the silky smooth texture was addictive without overpowering sweetness to it. I also loved baked eggs that came with artichoke and lamb chorizo. Another seemingly typical egg dish? It looks that way, but the aromatic flavor of the dish would make for a pleasant brunch anytime.
The restaurant still seems to be going strong; although I had no problem getting a reservation, it was soon packed with handsome young people during the course of my meal. I typically recommend people to go to a restaurant for dinner to truly explore the full range of flavor and texture from the kitchen; if you’re inclined to go to a brunch, however, you can’t go wrong with Little Park.

Came here for brunch without any expectations and it was fantastic. Service was a little slow but the food was on point.
I came here with three people and we ordered:
Beet sandwich: generous pieces of beet
English muffin egg sandwich: the eggs were fluffy and I like the Spanish kick with the salsa and the spicy chorizo
Coconut & spelt pancakes: really really good!
Side fingerling potatoes: really good
Side of bacon
We all thoroughly enjoyed our meal.

Other than the lumache with pork ragu and kale, which was a bit too al dente and on the small side for my voracious appetite and love for Italian food, I didn’t think the other items we ordered were that special or unique that I would have to go to Little Park for them.
The banana bread with flax seed was pretty good though. I’d recommend getting some of that.
Little Park has a neighborhood feel. It’s pretty spacious. However, service was a bit slow.

3.5 stars
Food:
Beatroot risotto — hearty
Fried avocado squash — meh
Spaghetti — soggy spaghetti with a few pieces of crab; don’t get this
Arctic char — just ok
Duck — good
Strawberry shortcake — very good
Peach sorbet — just ok

The bread and butter were the first indicators that we were going to have one of the best meals we’ve had in… a while.
The service style is food-​share and our excellent server suggested 2 – 3 small plates per person:
Chilled English Pea Soup (mint & horseradish)
Heirloom Tomato
Beetroot Risotto
Strawberry & Burrata
Fried Avocado Squash (tempura-​ish)
Maine Sardines
Scallops
Lamb Porterhouse
Cinnamon Toast Ice Cream
Malted Milk Panna Cotta
Oohs and Aahs for each dish. Wine list is large and mostly unfamiliar but has a wide price range
Upscale, romantic atmosphere. Most tables in the dining room are booth style. Good for groups of 2 – 4 people.
It’s lively and loud — especially my table
Excellent service from Lauren
Bar is trendy and mostly filled with people in their 30s
Not a bargain hunter’s paradise but a phenomenal formula for foodies

IN SHORT: A relative newcomer to the downtown dining scene that promises idyllic, yet inventive, farm-​focused food in an ethereal, woodsy, and thoughtfully trend-​aware setting.
THE STORY: There is a little note that hangs by my coworker’s desk that outlines something called «The Creative Process.» It goes like this:
1. This is awesome
2. This is tricky
3. This is shit
4. I am shit
5. This might be ok
6. This is awesome
After a recent dinner at Little Park, I imagine that Andrew Carmellini’s process in crafting the high-​level seasonal and sustainable menu may have looked a lot like that. The local, vegetal concept is the great idea we have all heard a dozen times before, but the challenge facing Mr. Carmellini is in creating food that defies our preconceived notions of this common idea.
I won’t pause to consider what the shit iterations of some of these dishes may have looked like because, fortunately, Mr. Carmellini has a great deal of imagination, and his food at Little Park, while not without its imperfections, is exceedingly fresh and unique. Mr. Carmellini is taking risks in his cooking to avoid the tired and the ordinary, and while some resulting dishes are still stuck at just «ok,» many are, in fact, awesome.
I yearned for a greater depth of flavor in the Big Eye Tuna, whose red fresno peppers brought a little too much heat to the delicacy of the tartare, which was also served a little too close to room temperature. The pickled heads of the white beech mushrooms deftly punctuated the dish, though, the vinegar a welcome addition to the fresh radishes and herbs sprinkling the plate.
Better was the Mushroom Carpaccio, an elegant plate of thinly sliced royal trumpet mushrooms marinated in a rich, meaty ragu with cured egg yolks. Here, Mr. Carmellini knows that providing a handsomely carnivorous foil to a plate can make a vegetable an even stronger star, and indeed, the best bites were towards the center of the dish where the mushrooms had had a chance to marinate even more deeply in the juices.
And while the idea of strawberries in a salad recalls for me the soggy salad bar at a Souplantation, the Strawberries and Burrata with arugula and summer herbs was creamy, peppery, and sweet in all the right places. The strawberries themselves were small, tender, and without a note of acidity or bitterness, which could have decimated the plate, instead only highlighting phenomenal quality burrata that would certainly impress any connoisseur.
Mr. Carmellini’s food here pays special attention to the vegetable notes and accents across plates, even in the mains like the Scallops with chanterelles, brown butter, and nettle, and the Long Island Duck with turnips and tangy grapes. Rounds of dark duck sausage take on the same texture and sweetness as the grapes and olives beside it, an exceedingly democratic approach to the dish that biases neither the meat nor the vegetables supporting it.
In many ways my entire meal here is a part of the creative process, the restaurant simply a step in the evolution of seasonal, farm-​to-​table cooking, and in many ways Little Park is truly a young descendant of restaurants like Blue Hill. It’s still an exciting, creative, adventurous work in progress, and the young, downtown-​based diners looking for a power lunch or a dinner date will intuitively accept the dishes that occasionally swing and miss because of the ingenuity and inventiveness upon which the cooking is founded.
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