We’d seen secondi, the larger entrees, sailing by on the extended arms of servers and knew that these were as voluminous as the pastas and even more so. The tomato sauce that underpinned it was thicker than usual, making it a very rich course.
The penne puttanesca ($19.95) was even more aggressive than others you might have tried, with plenty of black olives and lots of anchovies delivering a salty and fishy kick. We calculated rightly that the pastas would come in humongous portions, and thus could enjoy a single serving as a second course shared among four. Though piled high with squid, shrimp, octopus, and oil-cured olives, it also included tidbits of pressed seafood paste that diminished the dish. However, we also ordered a seafood salad, which was the least appealing of the three apps. Really, at Park Side you wouldn’t need any appetizers at all because the bread basket and antipasti plate are so generous. To our surprise, a plate of salami, cheese, and pickled pepper bruschetta also came along with it. There’s also an herb-topped focaccia, sesame-seeded semolina bread, and olive rolls. One is the fabled lard bread, speckled with the minced fatty trimmings of prosciutto, creating little salty flavor bombs in every bite. While this classic restaurant freebie has declined over the last few years or been eliminated entirely, here the basket bristles with multiple varieties of fresh bread. The bread basket merits special mention on its own. The dish was so good that, once the bivalves were dispatched, the bread basket came into play as every drop of the intensely flavored juices were sopped up. Another don’t miss appetizer are the baked clams ($11.95), delicate littlenecks slathered with olive oil and heaped with breadcrumbs and garlic. The eggplant rollatini ($9.95) was spectacular, not so much rolled as layered, with alternating strata of eggplant and mozzarella smothered in a lively marinara. Naturally, we went for the most Italian-American dishes, eschewing more modern ingredients like arugula, balsamic vinegar, and pesto. As the sun set, the tables surrounding us filled with extended families, who seemed well-acquainted with the menu and staff.
But, on this occasion, the food was much better, I noted while sitting in the paved side yard with three friends, penned in by palm trees and flowers. It had certainly not been up to the standards of Michael’s in Marine Park or Frost in Williamsburg, two other red-sauced Italian-American establishments, both located in Brooklyn. My last meal there six years before had been mediocre. The bread basket and antipasti plate are free. A bowl of fresh peaches invites patrons to take one or two home with them - such is the hospitality of Park Side, where a Christmas tree is kept lit year round. The corner entrance opens into a bar, and then a glitzy dining room, decorated with copies of ancient Roman statuary that bely the origin of most of the menu in Sicily and southern Italy. Previously, it was known as the Corona Supper Club, a much smaller cafe opened in 1960. It is modern by the group’s standards, founded around 1980 in its present form by Anthony Federici, who famously kept racing pigeons on the roof, and also serves as its chef. Park Side is one of only two dozen or so historic Italian-American restaurants still open in Brooklyn and Queens. There, a decade ago, old Sicilian men competed with much younger Latinos under strings of tiny colored lights, with spectators drifting over from the restaurant as darkness deepened. Eventually, you’ll arrive at Park Side, a sprawling restaurant with a distinctive green awning on the northern edge of triangular-shaped William F.
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