There last night for the first time ---- salad ingredients were very fresh; the entrees were good and came out piping hot; and obviously all priced right.

Since it's BYOB, the only constructive observation I would offer is that they ought to offer something for those who walk in with white wine to be able to keep it chilled. This obviously isn't fine dining, so free-standing ice buckets would be out of place. But there are those inexpensive ceramic-type bottle holders (I'm sure there's a fancy name for them) that can be kept in the freezer and used as needed.

Maybe they have them and server just forgot. Maybe they don't have the freezer room. It's no biggie.

But we'll be back for sure (but with room-temp red!).

Stopped in for lunch on Sunday. The food was superb. Service with a smile, and the prices were great. Hummus was fresh. Got the Chicken a la Vodka, Killer!! Enjoy!!

stopped by last week and really liked it. I had eggplant parm, date had shishkebob (sp?) both were quite tasty. neither of us was thrilled about the french onion soup, which was rather bland. carrot cake was a great capper to a lovely meal. we'll be back.

Not sure about this "soft opening" they told you about - they have been open for at least a coupla weeks now so...perhaps time to drop the pretentiousness..

Had a very nice sandwich there last week. Definitely going to have dinner there soon. A very welcome addition to the neighborhood.

Tonight I ordered the shrimp bisque and the vegetable panini. Granted, I live two blocks away on 8th Street. Food arrived within 25 minutes.

AWESOME!! All fresh ingredients.

I chatted with the delivery guy. They're actually in "soft opening" mode. They plan a GRAND OPENING next week.

They are a welcome business in the Hamilton Park area.

Just tried the Parkside Bistro... My girlfriend opted for the shish kebob and I went with the chicken kebob. Both were delicious. Oh and so was the hummus. We will definitely go again. Great addition to the neighborhood.

Had a grilled chicken sandwich delivered the other night, it was delicious! the chicken was tender & juicy and was well seasoned. All ingredients were super fresh, the lettuce, tomato and the basil - yum yum! it also had fresh moz on it =). it was delivered pretty fast. I'm loving this place.

Tried this last weekend. Good service and nice touch that the owner walked around and chatted up all the tables. We had the stuffed vegetables, which was a huge serving of stuffed pepper, mini eggplants, and mini zucchinis, plus a heap of rice flavored with tomato sauce! It was enormous and was enough for dinner and lunch the next day.

My fiance got the chicken kebob, which was nicely cooked and came with rice and salad.

One suggestion would be to be a tad more aggressive with the seasoning. I love that the taste of the ingredients came through, but the flavors could be intensified somewhat.

I think Parkside Bistro can be a great addition to the neighborhood. It is a convenient go-to spot especially for take-out and also for quick dining in.

However, I urge the owner and chef to taste their food! Some of their dishes are seriously lacking in the flavor department. I have tried mostly the Italian dishes. I want to like this place so bad! I just wish the dishes weren't so bland... This seems like an easy problem to fix.

Good Luck!

Finally had a chance to try Parkside Bistro for lunch yesterday, here are my pros and cons.

Pros:
- They did a nice job with the interior, utilizing the space much better than Deep Blue had previously done.
- Service was attentive, but to be fair we were the only ones in the restaurant for half of our meal.
- Hummus was good, tasted like they blended in some cucumber into which is different than most of the hummus I've had before but all in all not bad.

Cons:
- The menu is all over the place. I appreciate the owner has both an Italian and Middle Eastern background but there is no focus to the menu whatsoever. It was kind of like a Jersey diner menu, and hey, that can be great for certain things. But I have a hard time believing they make all of those entrees well, and wonder about the freshness of some of the ingredients needed to make that range of food.
- My wife and I both ordered wraps as it was lunchtime and we wanted to try the simplest thing on the menu to test their know-how. We both thought they were badly under-seasoned, not just salt but any kind of seasoning whatsoever (acid, spices, etc) The avocado in my wrap was starting to brown already (put that in some lemon juice and you'll solve both the browning and a little of the blandness), but the rest of the sandwich seemed fairly fresh.

Verdict:
We might come back at some point to try the kabobs and the ice cream as a few people have said they were good, but all in all I'm not all that excited for this place. I wish them well and if others in the neighborhood are into it that's great, but it's unlikely we'll be back anytime soon. C'est la vie.

Ate here tonite for the first time (after repeated disappointment with H.I.). Food was great and service almost overly attentive. I had the kofta, huzzy had the salmon. Both tasted great. We had ice cream for dessert (chocolate lovers and cake batter flavors). The waiter tells us that if you get a bottle of wine or whatever from the liquor store across the street for your dinner you'll get a 10% discount if you say it's for a meal at the Parkside.

One day Parkside Bistro may really be at the side of a park. Anyway, we look forward to returning and trying more entrees.

My husband and I just returned from our second visit to Parkside Bistro and we'll be back - mainly because it good food at a fair price. It is a welcome addition to our Hamilton Park neighbor and while they're still working out some kinks we'd recommend it.

It's sad to see over the top negative posts for a new restaurant - particularly in the restaurant starved HP neighborhood.

Now about the food - hummus was wonderful both visits, skirt amazing on the first visit - good on second. Lamb chops ordered and served as requested - medium rare - that in self makes this place worth visiting - all for under $40.00 w/o tip! We heard other patrons raving about the kebabs and they looked great.

They need to work on the service - attentive but all over the place - waiters, cooks, etc., should not ever leave the dining room to deliver orders and it seems that bussing tables takes a while - which could be a problem if tables start rolling in ( we hope).

Print up some menus guys asap, for those take out requests- there is no reason why a potential customer should not have one when they stop in and ask.

Rani and Mike are trying to make this place work and we think it's worth it - be patience and make suggestions - they will listen.

Good luck!

Most of their menu is stuff that you could make at home, but that's the appeal. It's home cooking when you just don't feel like doing it yourself.

Well, at the risk of being banned from jclist, I have to admit that I didn't care for this place. We went for dinner on Monday and the food wasn't very good. In particular, my smoked salmon salad had wilted lettuce, salmon unlike any I've tasted before (and not in a good way), and the wrong dressing. My boyfriend's pasta was okay, but nothing you couldn't achieve with last night's penne and a jar of Ragu. The servers were nice, but unbelievably slooooowwww. They lack confidence, and I think they were trying so hard not to be intrusive that they failed to be attentive. We tried for no less than 15 minutes just to get their attention to get the check. Wanted to try out the yummy-sounding ice cream selection, but didn't want to stay another hour ... so we left and went to Torico's.

The thing is, I really WANT to like this place. So we decided that it was probably an off night for them, and we'll check them out again in a few months. Talking to neighbors, I've only heard experiences like mine ... so it's encouraging to read here that a lot of people do like it. It sounds like it's stronger when the owner is there.

Oh! I almost forgot! One big A+ for the paper towel dispenser in the bathroom! It's automatic but not motion-reliant. Loved that.

We went Wed night and had the spaghetti bolognese and the potato dumplings and were very happy with our meals. I think this is becoming our go to place on nights when we're too tired to cook or do anything else and just want a place to relax and have a good meal.

Went for lunch there yesterday, which was my third visit. The Chicken Club Wrap I had for lunch was superb. I previously went for a mid-week dinner and a Friday night dinner. I left happy from all three visits.

One small detail I would have them change is for them to serve fresh brewed iced tea. They have a fountain soda set up that includes one of those soft-drink versions of iced tea. The food is too good to ruin with that stuff, IMHO. A nice glass of real iced tea would be be more on par with the high quality of the food/cooking.

Delivery was quick, food was hot & tasty with ingredients that were obviously fresh & quality.

We have a winner!!

I haven't eaten there yet (though last night I was perusing the menu so it won't be long) but the ice cream is just amazing! they let us sample a few last night and it killed me to only pick one

The wife and I went on Sunday, and I was very happy with my meal. I had the skirt steak, which comes with some delicious potatoes (a cross between scalloped and mashed potatoes) and some veggies. The meat was incredibly juicy, considered that most places tend to overcook that cut and normally serve it a bit dry. Prior to that, we shared a plate of falafels, which was delicious. My wife was not as impressed with her meal (a shish kebab) but I did try it and thought it was decent. Overall, I think this place is great. Very good prices, BYOB policy (at least for the time being) with a great ambiance (if you enjoy understated elegance, not-too-loud music, etc.) and very good food.

At the time of our visit, there were only two other tables occupied, but some people came in for take-away orders and the service was just right. Attentive, without being intrusive.

I wish the owner well. He was incredibly friendly and checked in on us a couple of times.

My family went here the other day. I was quite surprised by the prices, very affordable. The food was great. The service was very accomadating. The only drawback was that its such a boring, unimaginative name. Couldn't they think of something else?

I gotta say... I really like this place! The owner (s) are incredibly friendly and welcoming, they're accomodating, and so far, the food is pretty darn good. Also, I'm thrilled to have a place so close to my apartment that I can just pop in and get something quickly that isn't a deli or completely expensive. A welcome addition to the neighborhood and I'm glad to hear so many people (aside from a few) enjoy it as well.

Been there twice now and I prefer Parkside Bistro to the new Hamilton Inn. I've had the Chicken Cesar wrap this last time, and it was awesome.

My friend and his wife went yday. Said it was 45 minutes for the food to arrive. She had the salad and said some of the arugula leaves were wilted. He had the buff Chicken wrap, said it was not very good. Lack of staff didn't help. Now I am scared to try. He was adament how bad it was. ) :

had dinner there the other night ... the place was not packed; there were 10 - 12 guests around 7 pm ... the food is comfort food ... with a mediterranean focus ...

the menu was short ... good straightforward food ... nothing exciting or unusual ...

prices are quite good; my dinner was straightforward and not extraordinary; portion sizes were generous; service was attentive and fast ...

the space is simple, attractive and inviting ...

there were a few minuses ... the rice i had was clearly microwaved ... and it it's byob ... some of the salad was a bit faded ... i assume these to be initial problems ...

after visits to the hamilton inn, it is possible to compare both ... it is almost a dead heat .... with the parkside bistro nudging ahead due to its more competitive pricing and broader menu ...

what are your thoughts ....

I stopped by and had dinner there this past Saturday evening.

Really liked how they fixed the place up and the atmosphere for dinner was really nice. Not too formal.

I ordered the mozzarella sticks for an appetizer. They came out perfect. Hot and crispy with the cheese melted on the inside.

I then had the skirt steak for the entree and it was done exactly as I ordered. Medium, but slightly pink.

And I thought the prices were very reasonable. I will definitely be back. Nice to have a new restaurant option in the neighborhood.

FG

Ate there last night. At first, we were suspicious; there were Italian dishes along with many Greek/Middle-Eastern offerings which seemed a little strange. But shortly after ordering, Rani, the owner/chef, came over and explained he's half Italian/half Egyptian and drew inspiration from his roots as well as his travels following culinary school.

I ordered the mixed kebab platter and frankly, it was outrageously delicious. Perfectly cooked chicken, perfectly grilled skirt steak, and the kefte was right on. Came with some really good yogurt sauce, as well. One of my dining companions wasn't thrilled with her hummus, but otherwise, everybody was pretty pysched with their meals. Dessert was a brownie with vanilla ice cream, great great great, and apparently made fresh on-site by Rani's wife.

I think, while certainly not perfect, Parkside Bistro is a great addition to the neighborhood and I really wish them the best.

My 9 year old and I had lunch there yesterday. I wanted something safe so I had the bacon cheeseburger with barbecue sauce - good burger for the price, fries were also delicious. the bacon was very crispy, always a treat. my daughter had the chicken parm, which was a huge portion. she ate half of it and I had the rest for dinner. the chicken was very tasty, pasta was cooked al dente, sauce was correct. we had take home chicken salad sandwich for my wife which she said was fresh and tasty.

overall a good experience, the staff was very friendly and courteous, service was efficient.

good food, correct price, nice addition to the neighborhood.

Walking home from the path the scent of food lingering up erie made me so hungry.

My wife and I had a very nice meal at the Parkside cafe last week. The menu was appetizing. The food was very tasty and fresh. The staff could not have been more pleasant or accommodating. The prices were very reasonable. The space is very nice but they could probably use a little more ambience. Great view of the neighborhood from the large windows. They are a welcome addition to the downtown area. It's nice to have another good local option for dining out!

Had a wonderful dinner at Parkside on Saturday night 4/3. The food was great, reasonably priced, the staff was extremely friendly and very professional, and the atmosphere was really comfortable. We had various selections from the menu: appetizers, entrees as well as dessert and coffee, and the check was about $45 (w/tip) for two, and well worth it. The owner seems to have a great passion for what he's doing, and is working very hard to ensure that everyone in the place has a quality experience. Congratulations to him and his staff. It is awesome to have such a great new establishment downtown. And btw, the music enhanced the experience...relaxing and conducive to good conversation.