A friend asked me to review an establishment in Union County. Though its outside of Middlesex County, and my blogging parameters, I will acknowledge the request.
Roselle was the home to the Cavalier -- a high end sports bar, banquet hall, and restaurant. Roughly a month ago, the business formerly known as Cavalier was converted to Central Park. Is Central Park the newest nightlife hotspot, or the same lame venue under a different name?
The extremities are the same. In regards to the outside of the business -- literally nothing has changed -- except a Central Park banner flaps over the white and black brickwork garnishing the name Cavalier. Upon entering the venue, it is obvious to see that quite a bit of money was spent on the interior -- its stunning. Most establishments paint their walls; but Central Park decided to cover their walls with plasma televisions. In the words of Wiz Khalifa: literally, "everywhere you look, you see a flat screen." Every item in the bar is luxurious; and the ambiance is spectacular. Its been said that you only get one chance to make a first impression; and Central Park made best of the opportunity.
However, after the first impression, everything went down hill. The room containing the bar and dance area is L-shaped; however, there is only a single bar located against the far wall. This creates chaos -- making it difficult to order drinks or to find room to dance. Furthermore, the liquor is over priced. The bar being named Central Park does not justify charging Manhattan prices for wine, distilled spirits, and beer.
On the bright side, the food was well-prepared, and the menu offered a wide vary of sushi and traditional bar food. Though the food, like the alcohol, was overpriced. However, this wasn't the biggest. The establishments similar to Central Park, particularly Chris Michael's and Hemingway's, separate the dining area from the bar/club and dance areas -- central park does not. Furthermore, the establishment continued serving full meals until nearly 2 a.m. This created chaos. Individuals were dancing two feet away from the table of guests eating sushi. Waiters were carrying food through crowds of intoxicated patrons. The DJ's speakers were set up directly above the dining area tables. Try to imagine this level of foolishness: it would be equivalent to eating a three-course meal in front of a stadium-sized speaker at a night club. It was painful to see such an elegant establishment ran so poorly.
Central Park is more than a bar, its also a catering hall. The night I attended a semi-formal family party was taking place. The private rooms and the bar/club/restaurant area share a tiny set of restrooms connected by a long hallway. This didn't phase me in the slightest way. However, an altercation occurred outside of the restroom between a member of the private party and a bar patron. Central Park is a large establishment; and two separate sets of restrooms should have been built -- this would have remedied these problems.
Overall the experience was pleasurable. I enjoyed my evening and ran into many friends and acquaintances at Central Park. However, two changes would have made my experience better. Firstly -- prices must be dropped -- attracting a young crowd during a recession will be difficult. Secondly, Central Park must be managed better: though the ambiance is fantastic, Central Park lacks direction. I offer an anecdote to sum up my experiences. I walk into the club area and am greeted by a plethora of friendly servers and bartenders. As I make my way to the bar I run into nearly a dozen people I know, and am dazzled by the elegance of the club area and the amount of plasma televisions smothering each wall. I pull up a seat at the bar and order a $17 cocktail -- which was served to me in a disposable, plastic, cup.
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