Tipsy Nomad

Tipsy Parson - Review - Chelsea - New York - The Infatuation

"Tipsy Parson is a "fun" neighborhood restaurant serving "refined comfort food," according to their website or a press release or something. We're not sure that Tipsy Parson feels particularly refined, but it definitely feels overthought. They've gone to great lengths to replicate a Southern country cafe in New York City, down to quirky plates decorating the wall, an antique phone, and kitschy old-fashioned desserts and snacks. But that's just the problem. After a few meals here it's apparent that they've done a perfect job of creating the concept, but at the cost of under-delivering on the food. The majority of the fare falls somewhere between unimpressive and decent -possibly a result of all that "refining". Comfort food is comfort food when eating it makes you feel like calories make you smarter and your problems don't exist. Fried chicken with honey and hot sauce on top of a fucking donut. That's comfort food. Unfortunately you won't find much of that feel-good decadence at Tipsy Parson. If you're in the neighborhood searching for a meal to soothe you, hit Cookshop. Mushroom Tart A tart with ricotta cheese and various mushrooms. Not bad, but nothing special.Ambrosia Salad I know what ambrosia is, so I sort of knew what to expect when we ordered this, but smoked peppered marshmallows are not what I want in my salad, especially when there's nothing there to balance all that sweetness. The whole time I was expecting to unearth some halloween candy under all the greens. Unimpressive.Dayboat Scallops A safe bet, but you definitely aren't coming here after a tough day to eat seared scallops and celery root puree. These were left unfinished at the table, which doesn't happen often when we eat.Pimento Cheeseburger Available at brunch and lunch, which are generally better than dinner. This is a decent burger, especially because I love pimento cheese and haven't had it since I was a kid. Comfort points awarded. It's a bit sloppy, but enjoyable.Mac & Cheese Probably the best thing we've had at Tipsy Parson, but you can't open up claiming Southern cooking and not serve a good mac and cheese.Hush Puppies A Southern restaurant should also be serving knockout hush puppies, but these were a let down. Dry and somewhat bland. Food Rundown The Fry Up Essentially vegetable tempura, but with a heavier batter. I remember when I had my first meal at a Japanese restaurant and instantly became obsessed with this. Then I turned six and got over it." - Chris Stang