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Family Style Italian With A View
Weather permitting, their outdoor dining area is a beautiful place to dine, offering a stunning view of the water. Dining indoors is equally wonderful as the large, open windows allow you to experience that same view. The dining area is extremely spacious, as is their bar area fitted with two big screen TV’s.
Jerald
Gralto, son of co-owner Tony Gralto, is the manager of La Parma On The Bay and
although he’s young, has much experience and a plethora of knowledge when it comes
to the restaurant business. Jerald was introduced to the business at the age of
seven and becoming a part of the family business became a dream for him as he
matured. While studying business in college, Jerald realized his potential of helping expand the La Parma
family. He had big plans of opening a place and wanted to learn everything possible
about the industry – and that’s exactly what he did. He learned the kitchen
inside and out, worked the bar, waited tables, was a host, etc. until he literally
learned and experienced all aspects of the restaurant business first hand. Jerald
continues to be ambitious and has lots of ideas and dreams for the future. Chris was our server for the evening. He was well spoken, personable and very accommodating. He made us feel at ease and assured us we’d have an incredible dining experience at La Parma on the Bay – and sure enough we did!
We commenced with some warm, fresh Italian bread and four signature cocktails – The Summer Splash (above left), an On The Bay (above right), a Baytini (below left) and a Mangotini (below right). All four cocktails are available on their everyday drink menu and were all exceptionally tasty and smooth.
As we mentioned above, La Parma is a family style restaurant, however for tasting purposes we were served half portions. The La Parma Salad was the first starter we were privileged to sample (below left). Consisting of romaine lettuce, artichoke hearts, red pepper strips, tomato, red onion and fresh mozzarella tossed with a warm balsamic dressing, this salad was just perfect offering a little bit of everything. All the ingredients were fresh and top notch, especially the mozzarella which is made in house. The warm essence really enhances this salad and we can surely see why it is such a best seller.
We
then took on the Hot Antipasto, a sampler featuring a few signature appetizers –
four baked clams, four stuffed mushrooms, four shrimp oreganata and fried calamari
(above right). The presentation was very nice and all components were cooked to
perfection. The baked clams are served whole and were clearly fresh. The stuffed
mushrooms really stood out, as the stuffing was just incredible. The shrimp were
nicely breaded, tender and the oreganata sauce was superb, and you can’t forget the
calamari, which presented a tender interior with a tastefully crunchy coating. The pasta course was up next and in this case we were presented smaller sample tastings, not the half serving. Chris was kind enough to pair each pasta dish with a delicious wine. We began with Bowtie Pasta in a Pesto Sauce paired with a Sauvignon Blanc (below left). The pesto sauce was pleasingly light and featured a slight garlic essence.
We
continued with Penne Ala Vodka paired with a delightful Pinot Noir (above right). The
vodka sauce was creamy and flavorful, made with diced onions and prosciutto and was
an excellent presentation of this traditional pasta dish. Rounding out the pasta dishes was a Baked Tortellini (below left) paired with La Parma’s own dry, red wine (Montepulciano D’Abruzzo). The tortellini were extremely soft, fresh and topped with a carbonara like sauce, pancetta mushrooms and fresh mozzarella cheese.
A standout chicken dish deserving much praise is the Chicken Verdi (above right) featuring two egg battered chicken breasts served with broccoli in a flavorful sauce. (A mix of sherry wine and lemon juice with a touch of tomato sauce) Topped with melted mozzarella cheese, the chicken was unbelievably tender, juicy and moist absorbing a multitude of flavor from the delicious sauce. The broccoli did not go unnoticed as it was cooked to perfection and also topped with mozzarella cheese, creating the perfect accessory to the chicken. You’ll find another tender cut with great flavor in the Veal Soprano featuring three breaded and fried veal scaloppini in a cherry wine sauce with onions, prosciutto, portabella mushrooms and mozzarella baked golden brown (below left). This flavorsome entrée proved to be a solid veal dish we would highly recommend.
The
Branzino Acqua Pazza is an amazing dish found on their specials menu (above right).
The catch was extremely delicate and fresh, cooked to perfection and bathed in a
lemon white wine sauce with fresh tomato and basil. The sauce was an outstanding
additive and surely did not go to waste and we soaked up every last bit of it with
the remainder of our breadbasket! Our final entrée was another praiseworthy seafood special. The Shrimp Campagnola (below) is served in a lemon wine sauce with the addition of mushrooms, artichoke hearts, roasted peppers and onions. The shrimp were again tender as can be, and although there was a lot going on in this dish, the flavors blended ideally together creating an admirable aroma.
We ended our meal on a sweet note with two delectable desserts accompanied by a beautifully layered glass of Cappuccino (below center). First up was the Mount Vesuvius, a warm chocolate brownie topped with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream and a cherry on top (below left). The warm brownie was rich in chocolate flavor and an overall delight. The homemade Tiramisu is one of their best selling desserts (below right). It was done just right as it was particularly moist offering an abundance of coffee flavoring.
The dining experience found at La Parma on the Bay is truly commendable. Their outrageous Italian cuisine is bound to keep you constantly coming back for more – not to mention the warm, friendly service you receive throughout your experience from start to finish. You’ll always leave full and feeling like family!
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