Central Park opened its first phase, the ground floor, in late February. The bar, which sits at the edge of the cavernous space and is open to the sidewalk at 551 Central Avenue (formerly The Dome Grill), quickly became a gathering spot. It took a few weeks for the seven dining concepts to open, and now that they are, it seemed like an apt time to check the place out.

We chose three eateries on a whim — Kojo Wok, Speaks Pasta and Palm Avenue Deli — and arrayed our four dishes on a sidewalk table for photos and a feast. Although this week’s FFF is not set up as a competition, per se, I’ll rank them at the end for posterity’s sake.

VIBE

We dug the layout. How many food halls have brick walls, industrial floors, giant-screen TVs and a big, railway-inspired clock over the bar?

We dug the energy. At 6:45 on Wednesday, the bar was buzzing and several tables were occupied. The patrons ranged from young folks assembling for happy hour, to a quartet of middle-aged fellas out for a bite and a beer, to one geezer sitting at a table watching the big screens.

It took some doing for us (well, Bonnie) to navigate the centralized digital ordering system, but we (she) got it done. We then adjourned to the bar, where I got a Czech pilsner ($7) and Bonnie a Chardonnay ($12). The food orders came up fairly quickly — although, understandably, not all at once. So it took me a couple of trips to …

GATHER THE ITEMS AT OUR TABLE

At 7:25 we dug in, starting with …

KOJO WOK

The Shanghainese Noodles ($15) had a smokey flavor that we enjoyed, but struck us as unusual for Asian food. Small(ish) pieces of dark-meat (⭐️) chicken were tender and flavorful, and a few chunks of bok choy added crunch. Overall, this dish would’ve benefited from more sauce.

SPEAKS PASTA

The combination of Spaghetti Pomodoro ($12) and Homemade Meatballs (3 big ones for $14) made for a splendid Italian dinner. The meatballs, bathed in a robust red sauce, were hearty and moist (⭐️). They blended perfectly with the firm (⭐️) spaghetti, whose sauce was a bit lighter, a nice contrast. If this was all we had ordered, it would’ve easily fed us both.

We — actually I — still had room for desert.

PALM AVENUE DELI

Our (my) order of Millie’s Blintzes ($12) included three rectangular crepes stuffed with sweet farmer’s cheese, joined by little containers of sour cream and raspberry preserves. I picked one up, dipped it, took a bite and the cheese squirted onto my thumb. I went to the knife and fork.

Um, how to sum it up? … Yum. That should suffice. The combination of semi-sweet cheese, uber-sweet preserves and obviously not-sweet sour cream, all wrapped in a tender crepe, made for an elegantly balanced treat.

Okay, let’s rank ’em …

1 — Homemade Meatballs (some of the best I’ve had in a restaurant)

2 — Spaghetti Pomodoro (an excellent accompaniment to the meatballs)

3 — Millie’s Blintzes (a delightful capper, even if I was already quite full)

4 — Shanghainese Noodles

All told, we spent $86.58 for a terrific food spread, a pint of beer and a generous pour of wine. And we took quite a bit of grub home. Factor in a fun, relaxing experience, and it all adds up to an exceptional value.

Central Park is set to eventually become a five-story food, drink and entertainment venue, with a rooftop bar and a basement speakeasy. Let’s hope — expect — subsequent phases to match the current one.