It’s been less than six months since Ingrid Croce transitioned her long-established restaurant and bar from The Gaslamp District to Bankers Hill under the rename of Croce’s Park West. Yet from the look and taste of things, the operation has settled into its new home as if it has comfortably resided there for years.
For those who haven’t yet stepped into the stylish space, which formerly housed Avenue 5 and Lips over the past decade, the oft-occurring happy hour affords an inexpensive gustatory experience that will likely tempt you into coming back for more.
Patrons are greeted by a spacious sidewalk patio framed in black-and-beige striped canvas. Just inside is a handsome dark-wood bar and lounge with ample seating that features high tops and a tufted leather couch fronted by marble café tables. Everything about the place feels bigger and airier compared to its past incarnations, due in part to a back space that was opened up for showcasing live music four nights a week.
In an age where craft cocktails using premium liquors will cost you a 10-spot at minimum, we find them at Croce’s for $7 and below. The “Ingrid’s Ketel One Mojito,” for example, is priced at $6.50 and goes down with the prominence of fresh mint and lime juice, just enough to quell the sting of the vodka. If you’re bent on rum, a mango mojito is available for 50 cents less.
In another $6.50 cocktail called “Peach and Basil,” the pureed fruit teams up with house-made basil-infused syrup and the herb’s leaves, resulting in a sweet and earthy flavor bridged by your choice of Bulleit Bourbon or Belvedere Vodka.
The list also includes “Cilantro Mules” made with TRU Organic Lemon Vodka; a “Smoky Local” touting Woodford Reserve Bourbon Whiskey and an Islay Scotch rinse; and the “Mississippi Lady” that blends berry puree with Tanqueray Gin and St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur.
The specials extend also to craft drafts priced at $4 and under. Usual suspects such as Stone and Green Flash go missing in lieu of less-ubiquitous types like Ommegang Hennepin Farmhouse Ale, Ironfire 50/51 IPA and Victory Storm King Imperial Stout.
From a succinct menu of noshes, the Jamaican-jerk baby back ribs tasted blue ribbon, although beer would have struck a better match to them rather than our fancy cocktails. Served over a bedding of creamy polenta, the spice rub on the ultra-tender meat was feisty, unlike the lamer versions of jerk I often encounter. An order of mixed olives was also commendable in that they filled a medium-size ramekin and weren’t overly brined.
Compared to its Downtown location, Croce’s Park West is more accessible in terms of street parking. (We lucked out with a space in the side lot.) The re-branded venture also appears to attract more locals, ranging from suited business types to casual neighborhood folk, all flowing in to get their fix of good food, drinks and music.
