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Spotlight: Scott Joseph on The Parkview

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The place that used to be a Park Avenue outpost of Eola Wine Company is now called The Parkview. And besides serving an impressive list of wines, it’s also stepped up its food offerings.

I started with a smooth and rich creamed Zellwood corn soup drizzled with a bit of olive oil and served with a few popcorn “croutons.” And a watermelon salad with cool cubes of the fruit on top of spicy baby arugula tossed in a light champagne honey vinaigrette.

Pan seared lamb lollipops featured three bite-sized chops perfectly seared and well-seasoned.

The braised pork belly was my favorite, a thick and appropriately succulent slice with a crisped outside. It was served with pot liquor next to a stack of braised kale and atop of swoosh of purple potato puree. Crispy chicharrones topped it off.

If you’re not inclined to have a full entree, you might want to go for the charcuterie platter. Mine had various salume and cured meats as well as a house pate, house-cured olives and other pickles, a selection of cheeses, bread, crackers and local jam.

And of course all of this is pairable with any of the selections from Parkview’s extensive list of wines. Even better, there is a knowledgeable staff to help you choose the right wine to suit your tastes. And if your taste is for craft beer, they’ve got you covered there, too.

Most of the indoor seating is at tall tables, though there are a couple of sofas for more casual lounging, though I never find those settings conducive to dining. There are also several tables on the sidewalk out front, perfect for the time honored sport of Park Avenue People Peering.

Park Avenue now has a more concentrated group of good restaurants than the stretch of Sand Lake Road I dubbed Restaurant Row back in the ‘90s. With the Parkview’s dedication to serving good food with its fine wines, we can add one more to the list.