PARKSIDE

I want to love PARKSIDE ROTISSERIE & GRILL (76 South Main St, Providence  401-331-0003). but so far it isn't happening. The dining room and bar are inviting and comfortable, nicely lit; unfortunately, the food served never seems to match the setting. Rotisserie chickens, pork, and duck are the headliners along with grilled meats and fish. The long menu also includes pasta dishes and entree salads. The breadth of the menu suggests a sort of indecision about whether or not Parkside is primarily a rotisserie/grill. We've dined on not-so-great rotisserie chicken and okay pork and duck. On three occasions everything ordered was passable but not noteworthy, with only one exception, an especially good roasted duck breast salad.

Prices are not high at Parkside so maybe it's unfair to expect a super performance from the kitchen. It's not being crossed off my list, yet. One huge factor in its favor is that it's open for lunch. In fact, lunch is the restaurant's busiest time because Parkside sits on South Main close to courts and hundreds of lawyers who fill the tables. Some return to the bar later for post-work drinks but they head home early and the restaurant is fairly subdued by 8:00 p.m. My suggestion as to ordering - keep it simple.

parksideprovidence.com/