The Early Word on Torrisi Spinoff Parm

Parm, the new sandwich shop and restaurant from the team behind Torrisi Italian Specialties, opened a mere eight days ago for lunch—dinner should come next week—and already the Yelpers, bloggers, and Eater readers have tried the place out and weighed in on the fried calamari, the Saratoga Club, and the lines and service. Is it a home run like its sister restaurant or are there some kinks to be worked out? The early word is ahead.

The Good But Pricey News: An Eater reader writes in to the tipline with this: "Just got back from an opening day lunch at Parm - all around delicious. Service was good - knowledgeable - they don't have a beer/wine list yet so he had to verbally try and describe all that they had to offer. Calamari, excellent - tossed with chopped fried green peppers and two sauces - chunky marinara and decadent aioli. Baked clams were buttery, garlicky deliciousness, but 5 small ones for $12? Little steep. Garlic bread - we did deluxe for $2 more - served with a side of ricotta topped with more chunky marinara, eh. Bread was excellent to dip in the butter sauce remaining after the clams were gone though. Tried two sandwiches - the chicken parm (a great sandwich, but that bread....oh so damn good...soooo sooo good - the semolina) and the saratoga club - which was a perfect chicken salad sandwich club. jelly zepole for dessert - overflowing with the jam, hot and nicely cooked - could only take down one (5 for $6) - brought the rest back for the office. All in all, doing exactly what they do - standard interpretations of New Amerital food that is, by and large, perfectly executed at a so-so price point." [Eater Tipline]

The Great News: One Eater commenter writes, "Just went for lunch and it was great. Split the chicken parm and the meatball parm - the meatball parm was the best I've ever had. I recommend it over the chicken parm even. Very cute place too and the service was really nice - clearly super eager for the first day."[Eater Comments]

The Very Good News: Another Eater reader recently went for lunch and is looking forward to returning soon when dinner service starts. "Went this afternoon for lunch. Line is out the door. Definitely casual, but with the look of a malt shop. Sandwiches were good, and the Saratoga club was quite delectable. Calamari was lightly breaded and spicy. Brussel sprouts were also wonderful. Can't wait to return, especially when dinner service begins." [EATER COMMENTS]

The Bad News: One Yelper wrote about their less than stellar dining experience at Parm, citing poor customer service as a huge problem: "As a patron of Torrisi, I was very happy with the service and enjoyed lunch there many times. However, with the service I had today, I am doubtful I will eat at Parm again or recommend the place to others. I put my name down on the list to be seated for lunch. I had read about several of the new menu items and I was eager to try them. Now, I understand a restaurant running out of menu items when it is the first week of operation. What I do not appreciate is when a paying customer is seated after a "regular customer" when clearly I had been there before the other customer. Because of this situation, I had not been able to order the baked clams which is what I had wanted to order. My server was not very apologetic and I was extremely disappointed. In the restaurant business, EVERY customer should be treated the same whether they are a regular customer, a new customer, or a semi-regular customer..." [Yelp]

More Bad News: One patron took to Yelp to voice their dissatisfaction with Parm. "Over priced cheap food (veal parm, pork chops, fried chicken)...a wanna be hype place with a not really impressive menu. Quite a disappointment for the neighborhood. the service today was not impressive, another bad grade for an opening." [Yelp]

The Rave: The Food Doc files a rave: "The meatball and chicken parmesan sandwiches are hard to beat: the fried chicken and meatballs are tender and delicious, and the marinara sauce tastes fresh and tart. Also of note is the turkey roll: a brioche bun slathered with mayonnaise and romesco sauce is stuffed with succulent pieces of roasted turkey breast, tomato and lettuce, resulting in a light yet flavorful sandwich. However, if there is one sandwich that a first-timer to Parm should try, it is hands down the Saratoga club: toasted slices of Pullman bread play host to a slightly tart chicken salad, tomato, lettuce, bacon flavored with maple syrup and rosemary, and crushed potato salads. The club is genius: a symphony of flavors and textures that brings down the house." [The Food Doc]

The Mostly Good News: Bite of the Apple loves the place: "Start off with meatball sandwich, followed by fried stuffed peppers,cauliflower, pizza crust. Share a house roasted turkey and a saratoga club (triple decker of chicken salad, bacon , and chips in the sandwich = genius!) . Save room for the zeppolis and a slice of their homemade icecream cake with 3 layers (pistachio, strawberry, and chocolate.) Their coffee is excellent as well. And listen to me and listen good, drink a few schaefer beers, when in rome, when in rome. I made the mistake of trying the chicken francese sandwich, it just wasnt great, and everything I’ve ever had by these guys is great. I tasted too much of the egg batter, and not enough lemon." [Bite of the Apple]

More Good News: All of the Foursquare tips for Parm are positive, including this: "It's hard to believe a turkey sandwich can be this good. It's thick cut, roasted in some delicious spices, and finished off with a spicy mayo on top. The chicken parm is good, but the eggplant parm sandwich is perfect. Thinly sliced, drenched in their homemade tomato sauce, and sprinkled with fresh basil on top." [Foursquare]
· All Coverage of Parm [~ENY~]