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| - Chef Marc Sgrizzi has once again outdone himself. Heartbroken that my beloved Parma had closed (I had a 4x/week habit for a time), I was eager to be one of the first patrons at Chef Marc's new Trattoria. Just entering the restaurant sets the mood. He's turned an overly curtained and tassled Indian venue into an elegant room - sophisticated, welcoming, warm, with the perfect lighting for a romantic date night. The menu has gotten an upgrade, though Chef says he's still deciding what stays and what goes. While you'll find traditional fare - alfredo, manicotti, ravioli - these all feature Marc's fresh made pasta and unrivaled Sunday sauce. He definitely has offerings for the more sophisticated - linguine Nero with squid ink pasta and artichoke hearts with a kick. I tried the linguine and clams and my date went with the veal parmesan which took up the entire plate for about half the price you'd find elsewhere. It was one of these "there's no way I'm finishing this whole thing" that turned into "I can't believe I ate the whole thing, but it was so delicious and now I can't move." The service is, as expected, amazing, featuring some of the old Parma crew that made dining with them feel like being at home with a (functional) Italian family.
Chef Marc himself chatted with us a bit about the menu and we were enraptured by his descriptions of how he dreams up and executes each dish. The passion he exudes consumes you and, before I knew it, I was cheering him on as he described each step of his craft. "Yeah, sauteed chanterelles, then what? Oh yeah, a little white wine and garlic? Fresh pasta? Hell YES."
While I'll miss the deli and the little retail store that unfailingly had my obscure Italian ingredients for my pathetically short-falling home cooking, I look forward to how this venture develops.
So glad Chef Marc is back!
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