Before our food arrived, I’d already fallen in love with everything from the minimalist decor to the Courier-font menu design that tugs at the hearstrings of this former newspaper gal.

And then … our food arrived. I was so disappointed with my gnocchi (six or seven sad little oily balls that I thought tasted like hydrated potato flakes), but the oysters were admittedly good. (I still prefer the price and quality of the oysters on the half shell at Quality Seafood, though I realize the ambiance doesn’t compare).

But it wasn’t just my gnocchi. I was with a group of 10 girls, and most of us weren’t impressed with what we ordered – the oysters and fries being the common exception. My friend Em nearly burst into tears when she saw four little fried oysters on the $14 fried oyster plate she’d ordered. She thought they’d mistakenly served her a half order. Another friend ordered a salad that was more sparse than the decor (though very pretty).

I think it’s fair these days to expect larger portions with food that tastes good or smaller, more chic portions that taste outstanding. I guess I found the parkside fare to be tiny *and* only passable – a bad combination in these tough economic times

I’d probably go back, but I’d stick with the fries and the oyster bar items.