Food + Drink
FOOD: Park & Sixth Gastropub [Jersey City, NJ]
Smack dab in the middle of the Paulus Hook section of Jersey City is Park & Sixth Gastropub. I happened upon this gem after arriving at my original dining destination only to find it was unexpectedly closed for the evening. A quick scan of my "Restaurants to Try" list and I found myself at Park & Sixth Gastropub. My disappointment quickly turned to delight when I walked in the door to find a rustic, cozy decor with candlelight and Magic Hat #9 on tap.
Park & Sixth Gastropub
Magic Hat #9 (in an Angry Orchard glass)
We were off to a great start with the beer selection--the aforementioned Magic Hat #9, Lagunitas IPA, Sam Adams Rebel IPA, and Leinenkugel Summer Shandy, to name a few. They also have a crafty selection of custom cocktails and a mid-sized wine list with plenty of options. Once your beverage is secured, there are a few different ways to kick off your meal.
Their menu is not sectioned off in a typical fashion--i.e. appetizers, entreés, sandwiches, etc. This layout as a chance to take on the meal however you choose--traditional eating be damned! To get things started, you might be interested in trying one of their raw delicacies: Tuna Tartare or Ceviche. You can also sample one or some of their "Small Plates," which includes things like Homemade Muzz, Scallop Tacos, and Risotto. Venture over to "Pub Snacks" and you can split the Gooey Brie Mac-n-Cheese or Park & Sixth Wings. But don't let the wings fool you--this isn't a section of classic apps.
A couple entreés can be found among the other Pub Snacks and that is where I found mine--the Black Dog Burger. This burger starts with 8 ounces of hanger steak blend, aged white Vermont cheddar, beer battered shallots, spicy garlic pickles, lettuce, tomato, and roasted fig steak sauce. This burger was not too big or too small--in my portion opinion, it was just right. The burger was cooked a perfect medium and packed a lot of delicious flavor inside--paired with crispy, seasoned fries and I was a happy diner.
The Black Dog Burger
The Black Dog Burger and French Fry Counterparts
If "small plates" and "snacks" don't sound too filling, then you can venture to the "Big Plates" section of the menu. Here you will find seafood, pork, roast chicken and beef, served up in a handful of different ways. On this particular occasion we went with the Land & Sea Pappardelle--braised hanger steak, lobster, charred tomatoes, lobster bechamel, pecorino-romano, and truffled panko. Though we weren't clear on exactly what everything was in this dish (looking at you, bechamel), the chunks of steak and lobster were hearty and the pappardelle was a great pasta to hold the weight of the ingredients.
Land & Sea Pappardelle
The most appealing part of Park & Sixth Gastropub is that there's a little something for everyone--the carnivores, herbivores, the bottomless pits, and those who pick like a bird. And the satisfaction does not stop at the entreé level; though their desserts have the potential to change from night to night, the one that I encountered is reason enough to give Park & Sixth Gastropub a try. Known as the Park & Sixth Chipwich, they take two giant chocolate chip cookies and put salted caramel gelato between them--oh my YUM. Need I say more?
Park & Sixth Chipwich
Let it be known that Park & Sixth Gastropub is actually a spin-off of the original Park & Sixth Restaurant and Bar, which is located only a few minutes away on Grove Street. Though their names are (mostly) the same, the menus and atmosphere are different; I will take one for the team and try the alternate location for an excuse to feed my face the sake of the readers having all necessary information to make educated dining decisions. You're welcome.
Park & Sixth Gastropub
247 Washington Street
Jersey City, NJ 07302
