Just Lunch: The Park at Fourteenth

Lauren DeSantis and Matthew Ross

A couple of weeks ago, The Park at Fourteenth, already well known as a bar, lounge and night club, opened its doors to diners for lunch.  We decided to be intrepid and brave the tentative spring weather and try the lunch menu out in its first week.  The Park is a 14,000 square foot sprawling venue on 14^th Street, NW between I and K Streets on the West side of the park McPherson Square. 

 

Spinach and Parmesan Dip

Executive Chef Lois Spencer introduced eight new dishes for the lunch menu.  We sampled a bunch and were not disappointed.  From our tasting tour of The Park, we recommend the following:

The grilled jumbo shrimp with jalapeno and cilantro vinaigrette was a delicious and savory appetizer, tangy and tender with just the right amount of zing.  The spinach and Parmesan dip was frustratingly addictive as we went through almost a whole bowl of house made tortilla chips before we could stop.  

The tomato, basil and mozzarella salad was well done with a syrupy balsamic reduction, fresh basil and thick slices of caprese fixings.  

The blackened salmon and arugula salad is a hearty salad with a full filet cooked to order riding a forest of arugula and trimmed with jicama slaw.  

For mains, we tasted the rosemary grilled baby lamb chops and the crab alfredo.  Both were very generous on the advertised proteins.  The former featured four lamb drumsticks on house mashed potatoes and the latter with angel hair pasta.  

We were absolutely happily stuffed by this point, but were talked into mini chocolate melt-away cakes and a bread pudding for dessert.  

Because of the large space, the feeling is relaxed and quiet.  The prices are quite competitive and the food is well prepared and generous.  The staff is gracious, and, if you’re lucky enough to get a window seat, it’s nice to have a view of the park on 14^th while having lunch . . . at The Park on Fourteenth.