The building that has seen other versions of the Parkside Café come and go has totally reinvented itself in the areas of food and hospitality. Add the prefix of Maxwell’s to the Parkside Café and a strictly prix fixe menu that changes monthly and you have got something new here indeed. There are no nightly specials, as the items on the menu are the specials, fresh and seasonal. Guests build their multiple-course dinner from the choice of a couple of soups, a few salads, a half-dozen entrees, and appetizers or desserts — for $32.50 a head this particular month. That price may seem high to some, but read on, it’s worth it.

We took our time ordering over a treat of fresh baked French baguette slices, spread with an unbelievably tasty brie mousse that arrived gratis. Offerings are ambitious and each course is more exciting than the one before. One soup course began with a chicken rice soup that happened to be a smooth coulis with added shredded chicken front and center garnished with orzo, that rice-shaped pasta. If you’ve had cajun-style gumbo before, it’s guaranteed you didn’t have it spiked with tasso sausage. Can’t find the tasso in Maxwell’s Alligator Gumbo? That’s the way it’s supposed to be. The tiny pieces of marinated and smoked sausage are added to the okra gumbo as a seasoning and the alligator meat provides the chunky bites.

Maxwell’s House Salad is a nice assortment of baby greens accompanied by conventional large slices of carrots, tomatoes, and red onions to be mixed together with a pungent yet lightly roasted garlic dressing. A warm salad of tender baked tiny whole pattypan squash was served on a bed of wilted mixed greens tossed with a captivating, anything-but-tart, apple vinaigrette. And, a luxurious Carpaccio of Tuna was a refined display of fresh sashimi grade tuna filet, sliced paper thin, served over asparagus salad in a lime and pickled ginger dressing. More and more New American-style chefs are doing the raw fish twist on the classic raw beef appetizer, Carpaccio, made famous in Venice, Italy. It’s a great take, and not only sushi lovers love it.

Thinking the science of soufflé-making was absolute, we asked the waiter how the Feta Soufflé appetizer could be twice baked, as the menu so stated. Happy to please us, he took the question to the chef as we then learned that the tops of the baby soufflés are merely torched after removal from the oven while their crests are still high. Wreathed in a roasted garlic sauce and garnished with romaine leaves, the two morsels per serving were noble, if not somewhat dry. A favorite appetizer was the Diced Venison Napoleon. As dear as deer can be, the farm-raised New Zealand venison, tender and mild, was combined with portobello mushrooms, spinach, and tomatoes, all layered in a crispy phyllo crust and complimented by a delightful hazelnut glaze. After appetizers, a surprise bing cherry sorbet arrived as a refreshing interlude to cleanse our hyped-up palates.

Furthering the south Pacific connection with an entree, we found a grilled Tenderloin of Kangaroo to be pure heaven down under as it was touched with a slightly sweet and perfectly paired black current cassis sauce. The kangaroo, not gamy at all and reminiscent of a good cut of beef, was served with a sautéed potato dumpling and miniature stuffed grape leaves. One other positive experience with kangaroo meat proved to be outdone by all elements of this awesome Aussie entree. Cast aside any remembrances of coconut shrimp dishes of yesterday as coconut-battered, tempura-fried jumbo shrimp served with spinach fettuccini in a sauce of coconut milk was simply succulent as the delicate identity of the shrimp was not submerged by the taste and texture of coconut. If you want steak au naturel, you will know by now not to expect it at Maxwell’s. They present a 6 oz. filet mignon turned into a culinary fashion plate, with its salsa of cheyote apples and sweet, nutty jicama potatoes, studded with a couple of fried plantains and flavored with a clean, sweet celery knob puree. The featured fish dish was that highlydemanded swordfish steak, cooked in a cracker crust to medium doneness, presented with a subtle and contrasting horseradish garlic sauce that worked. Poultry is not missed either, as a wine-pouched French cut chicken breast topped with tomato au beurre served on a bed of spinach featured a potato gallet (pancake) on the side.

Have an after-dinner drink in the lounge located around the corner from the fully stocked bar. Low chairs on caskets, low lighting, and a small corner fireplace cast a glow on customers ready to make their selection from the humidor displaying fine cigars. Dessert features are award-winning pastries from Dingeldein’s and Honey Mill bakeries and can be partaken in the lounge, too, as a good ventilation system does away with excessive smoke.

Location:
Easy to Find

Parking:
Self-Serve

Handicapped Access:
Entrance

Exterior Appearance:
Old Barroom Style

Initial Interior:
Reservation Desk

Reservations Necessary:
Preferred

Preferred Dining Attire:
Stylish-casual

Wait (to be seated):
None

Wait (for service):
None

Lighting:
Low

Meal-time Music:
Jazz

Decor:
Contemporary

Dining Area Appearance
Reminiscent Hollywood

Noise:
Light Chatter

Climate:
Fine

Tables:
Ample

Chairs:
Comfortable

Booths:
Many

Table Setting:
Full

Your Meal:
Excellent

Automatically Served:
Fresh Baked Baguette w/ Brie

Soups:
Alligator Gumbo

Cocktails:
Quality

Main Course:
Tenderloin of Kangaroo

Desserts:
Chocolate Decadence

Coffees:
Excellent

Staff Attitude:
Friendly

Staff Appearance:
Neat & Clean

Hospitality:
Welcoming

Cleanliness:
Could Eat off of Floor

Wash Rooms:
Immaculate

Crowd (Qty):
Few

Crowd (Attitude):
Casual/Laughter

Food (portions):
Fine

Food (prices):
Supportable

Overall Service:
Attentive