Parsnip Restaurant & Lounge

Parsnip Restaurant & Lounge Restaurant Review:

Parsnip Restaurant & Lounge is located in the former UpStairs on the Square space. The setting has traded the whimsical for luxurious, with high ceilings with modern glass chandeliers, calming white walls adorned with abstract paintings, and a marble fireplace. A pair of balconies overlooking the dining room have been replaced with cool, neutral grays. For a pre-dinner drink or a more casual globally inspired meze of charcuterie, kebabs, hanger steak or fish and chips, head for the plush couches upstairs. Downstairs, in a dining room perfect for good conversation and where some tables are hidden behind curtains, must-try items range from the braised octopus appetizer with chorizo, romesco sauce and cilantro to the pork loin entrée. However, the prix-fixe menu offers bargains. The meal starts with a trio of warm bread and soft butter. Choices change frequently, but have included leek-potato soup with shrimp and black truffle; salmon tartare, with juniper and citrus, quail egg, chilled cucumber yogurt and dill soup; Chilean sea bass and tagliatelle with wild mushrooms and sage cream; smoked lamb neck stew with haricot blanc, tomato and basil; and chocolate tart with figs, vanilla mascarpone and walnut granola. The bar has a limited wine and craft beer list, and cocktails like the Sazerac, with Rittenhouse Rye, raw sugar, Peychaud’s Bitters and absinthe. Look for special evenings such as monthly Supper Club nights as well as patio seating in the summer.