Despite this initial disappointment, Parm persevered on my list. The perfect opportunity presented itself to finally dine at Parm, a 2:30 lunch. No chance there could be a wait (or significant wait) for a table at 2:30. Upon arrival, I was seated immediately (even without my dining companion present).
Parm is a brilliant concept. Italian American (as opposed to authentic Italian) food, served fresh, with high end ingredients and in moderately sized portions. Most Italian American restaurants in NYC (and all over the US) serve over fried, over battered, frozen chicken cutlets, or flavorless tomato sauce out of a can, in bulk portions to the masses. Parm succeeds where so many restaurants in Little Italy fail.
The ambiance at Parm is 50's diner chic, but the best part is the doo wop music playing in the background.
What to Eat:
Start with the Baked Ziti. There is an option to get a side of "Meat Gravy", which is a hearty, beef Bologna sauce. Unless your a vegetarian, order the ziti with meat gravy. The browned ziti noodles are layered with a homemade marinara sauce and then topped with huge dollops of fresh ricotta. I'd love to get my hands on this recipe.
The main reason I tried Parm is to confirm the rumor that Parm served the best chicken parmigiana in NYC. Rumors confirmed readers. Parm offers the chicken parm on a small roll, a medium sized hero or a platter (the platter includes a salad or ziti). Unknown fun fact about me: Chicken Parm Heros are one of my 5 favorite foods. The problem is, most of them are greasy, over breaded, have average bread, etc...I found none of these issues at Parm. Parm's chicken hero contained layers of thick slices of lightly breaded white meat, sweet marinara sauce, and fresh mozzarella. One word: perfection. It's a good thing they don't deliver.

Willing to wait (forever) for a table? Parm will make it worth your while,
Your foodie friend
Insider tip: Do not go during usual dining hours unless you are willing to wait about an hour. Go for an early/late lunch or dinner to avoid the crowds.
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