We recently went to a cocktail meet-up with fellow CT Bloggers at Parallel Post located in the Trumbull Marriott. I know … you wouldn’t normally think of a hotel restaurant as being a place you’d go if you weren’t actually staying at the hotel. However, this is not your average hotel restaurant. It is the creation of James Beard nominated Chef Dean James Max. It’s focused on seasonal and regional cuisine.
They try to source as much locally as they can, with seafood from Norm Bloom (Norwalk, CT) and Foley Fish (Boston, MA), meat from Ox Hollow Farm (Roxbury, CT), cheese from Coach Farm (Pine Plains, NY) and greens from Gilbertie’s Herb Garden (Westport, CT), among a few others. Executive Chef Christopher Molyneux hopes they can do more in the future. The fact that a major hotel/corporation like the Marriott supports sourcing locally certainly makes us smile.
The menu consists of everything from snacks to small plates to large entrees with categories like Share, Garden, Eat Your Veggies, Meat Without Feet, Handheld, Soups, Artisan Meats and Sweets.
We loved, loved, loved the selection of craft beers and especially local/regional beer. You know us, whenever we can we like to order local brews. Since we couldn’t decide which one to choose, our waitress suggested we each get a flight and enjoy them all. Great idea.
What’s better to nosh on with beer than chips? These housemade potato chips are crunchiness goodness. They’re served with a light feta dill dip. The dill gave the dip a fresh pop.
We also sampled a parsnip soup that was outstanding. It was rich and creamy without being heavy and had deep underlying flavors. Chef de cuisine Ali Goss explained that the flavor base consisted of fennel, onion and celery. Executive Chef Chris said they don’t take short cuts and use a long process of reducing the broth base multiple times in order to create such complex flavor. It’s the season for root vegetables so this soup is a great match for Fall.
Another stand-out was the Norm Bloom Clams BLT with triple smoked bacon and grilled romaine in a spicy tomato broth. The clams were wonderfully fresh. The dish was a nice balance of salty and smoky with the grilled romaine giving a gentle fresh crunch. The piece of bread underneath it all just soaks in the amazing spicy broth.
For my main course I ordered the Grilled Mahi with Yukon puree, broccolini, corn and lemon jus. The fish was fresh and perfectly cooked, but overall I found the dish a little bland. Renato ordered the Braised Lamb with sunchoke gratin, creamy mushrooms and seasonal vegetables.
To be honest with you, the presentation of the lamb left a bit to be desired. It just didn’t look all that appetizing. However, Renato said it was incredibly tender and flavorful.
Despite, at least in our opinion, a few slight misses Parallel Post is a pleasant surprise. With the modern lounge décor, it’s a cool spot to grab drinks and a bite to eat.
And, here’s a last minute heads up about a special event. On Wednesday, Nov. 20th Parallel Post is teaming up with Two Roads Brewery, Onyx Spirits, Connecticut Distributors and Shearwater Coffee Roasters for a one-night-only, five-course “Pals of the Post” dinner. Seating is limited to 80 people so reservations are required. For reservations email farmtotrumbull@gmail.com.
Disclaimer: I was not compensated for this post. The cocktail hour was free of charge and any additional food items were offered at a discounted price. The opinions contained herein are my own and reflect my opinion. Your own may differ.
Parallel Post
Trumbull Marriott
180 Hawley Lane . Trumbull, CT
203-380-6380
www.parallelpostrestaurant.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ParallelPost?fref=ts
Instagram: http://instagram.com/parallelpost
Open daily breakfast, lunch and dinner 7am-11pm