I know where I’ll be “Parking” it come summer time

First things first, Average Joe needs to thank Brad Stevens’ mother.  For without her we would never have discovered her son.  Brad Stevens, owner of Park Pub and B-Rads Bistro & Catering, has revitalized the collar-city’s menus and made dining in Troy anything but Average.   

My experience at Park Pub was phenomenal.  I was looking forward to taking Average Mom out to dinner because I’m a great kid, but I was stumped on a place we hadn’t recently tried. She suggested we try Park Pub, just another reason Mom is always right. 

In the midst of the recent cold spell, Average Mom and I both opted to have soup.  She had the quintessential park-fare staple, French onion, while I stepped out of my comfort zone and tried the Chick Parmesan soup.  The soup came out right away and even though I doubted the soup’s ability to really taste like chicken Parmesan, it did.  The tomato-based soup had chunks of vine-ripened tomatoes, pieces of tender chicken and was covered with mozzarella cheese.  The surprise was digging into the cup to find a piece of bread that balanced the flavors perfectly.

At the recommendation of a co-worker we also tried the green bean fries.  Served with a tiger-dipping sauce the serving size was more than generous.  The breading didn’t fall apart at first touch like some fried foods and the beans managed to keep their snap upon biting into them. 

Average Mom and I split the turkey club with sweet potato fries, and WOW.  Club sandwiches can be ordered at a million places between here and the next town, but what made this one different was the crunch of bacon paired with toast that wasn’t soggy or too dry.  The tomato on the sandwich was crunchy yet not too hard to chew through.  The turkey tasted moist and was almost 3 inches thick on the plate.  The colossal stack of sweet potato fries was the perfect end to the meal – crunchy enough on the outside, yet soft and flavorful on the inside. 

I remembered the space as the dimly lit golf course bar next to the ice rink.  It has since been transformed into a warm, family-friendly environment.  The tables were crowded with groups enjoying a pint of beer or glass of wine and the servers were friendly and attentive.  Come summer time when the golf course is packed with players, the outdoor patio will be stacked with patrons, and you can bet that I’ll be one of them.