NYC — Spring 2016: Parm

One food that I haven't given that much thought to is parmigiana. Don't get me wrong, I eat a lot of Italian food, but I always opt for pastas and pizzas and seafood, and even though I have had parmigiana before, I don't think I've eaten it in, like, the last decade. It's not that I don't like it, either; I just don't think it occurs to me to ever order it. Enter Parm, a restaurant whose specialty is parmigiana.

Artichoke Casino, Greek Farro, and Arugula Salad
Eggplant Parm
Chicken Parm Dinner
My brother decided on Parm because we wanted to have Italian food, but also wanted to keep it really casual. Plus, he had heard good things about it, and it was near our hotel and his apartment. So he and his fiancée met us there for dinner. We started with a couple of salads (apparently farro is the new quinoa) and the Artichoke Casino, which are stuffed hearts (I actually have no idea what they're stuffed with, but they are delightful), and then ordered two each of the eggplant parm and the chicken parm dinner. Guys, where has this been all my life? The eggplant parm — the original parmigiana, the way the Italians intended — is ten layers of pure eggplant, cheese, and tomato sauce bliss. I don't think I've actually ever had this parm before, but it's like lasagna made with eggplant instead of pasta and it's freaking wonderful. But I gotta say, the chicken parm is the real star here. The chicken is super-tender — not a hint of dryness in sight — with a thin, perfectly crispy breaded exterior that doesn't take away from the meat, and a nice generous coating of melted mozzarella that is baked to perfection. It's served with spicy pasta that compliments the flavours of the parm and keeps the overall dish interesting while also serving its purpose as a filler in case the parm isn't enough (but trust me, the parm is more than enough food on its own). My only question is, how have I gone so many years without eating parm? 

Parm 250 Vesey Street Brookfield Place New York, NY 10080 (212) 776-4927