If you’ve ever spent 20 minutes driving up and down Ben Franklin Parkway in search of the Peacock on the Parkway, join the club. This family-run restaurant is just one of two situated within Hotel Windsor on the 1700 block of the Parkway. As if that didn’t make it hard enough, the sign outside of the restaurant reads: Asia on the Parkway, even though their menu consists of Northern Mediterranean dishes. Try and figure that one out.
Peacock on the Parkway was one of many posh restaurants to participate in the city’s famous Restaurant Week. With a fixed rate of $30 per person, it was a great opportunity for college students to forget their financial troubles for the night and head out to experience some fine dining with a price tag that’s just right.
For those of you who missed Restaurant Week, Peacock on the Parkway decided to cordially extend the offer through the first week of February to accommodate those who did not get a reservation in January.
My friends and I anxiously swung the glass doors of the restaurant open, only to enter a cramped waiting area with a woman telling us they did not have our reservation. Strike numero two. After some searching, the woman returned with a smile and said, “Right this way.”
Their Web site says a “cozy and romantic atmosphere,” but what that really means is: Be prepared to make friends with the people sitting around you because you’re practically sitting on top of one another. Luckily, both couples were very charming.
For the first course, you had the choice of a tossed or Greek salad, pumpkin soup or black ravioli stuffed with lobster in Aurora sauce. I chose a classic Greek salad with fresh tomatoes, feta cheese and cucumbers; with every bite I was pleased with my choice.
Next up: second course. With a wide array of Northern Mediterranean options, I chose the broiled lobster tail over cappellini with a butter lobster sauce and it was, in the words of Will Ferrell, scrumtrulescent. At approximately six inches, the lobster tail – broiled to perfection – was very juicy, flavorful and meaty. The butter lobster sauce, which was mixed in with the cappellini, complemented the lobster nicely.
A hearty side of vegetables was also included that comprised perfectly cooked snow peas, broccoli and red peppers. Unlike some upscale restaurants where the garnish rivals the size of the actual entrée, the combination of presentation and quantity was impressive. Now for my favorite part: dessert.
“We have chocolate Oreo mousse cake, cheesecake, or apple cinnamon cake drizzled with caramel and served warm,” the server said. We tried to control our drooling.
My friends and I sampled and blissfully finished all three. The cheesecake was a classic New York Cheesecake and was very rich and heavy. The Oreo mousse cake had a thin layer of Oreo at the base, light chocolate mousse in the center and a top coat of vanilla cream with crushed up Oreos and whipped cream on top. The apple cinnamon cake was as delicious as it sounds. It differed from apple cinnamon pie in that it had a much thicker and heavier crust, almost bread-like. We topped off the night with a cup of English tea and were on our way.
We had two different servers and both were pleasant and speedy. Aside from the cramped seating, the food was delicious. Since they’ve extended Restaurant Week at Peacock on the Parkway, why not go and see what you think?
Alison Stuart can be reached at stuart@temple.edu.
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