Out to Lunch: La Parma on the Bay

I went to La Parma on the Bay with three friends on a recent afternoon for lunch and we had a very unusual experience. If you could have drawn a line dividing our table in half, one side would have reported a wonderful dining experience, and the other side, a disaster.

The restaurant is in the building that was once housed the former 415 Main. Parking is available and it is conveniently located near the water and walking distance from the dock. It is the fourth in a chain of La Parma's (with other locations in Williston Park, Huntington, and Oceanside). The place itself is impressive looking, with a grand entryway decorated with fresh flowers, a spacious bar, and a light and bright, high-ceilinged interior with windows on two sides. There's even a large stone fireplace against one wall to add to the charm. The place is huge, and I've heard that it gets crowded at night, when the place serves food family style (large portions meant to be shared with the table), but at lunch, served from 12-3 p.m., there were only a handful of tables occupied when we were there.

We were seated by a hostess, and attended to by a harried-looking waiter who reported that the busboy had called in sick so he was manning the dining room himself. There are two lunch menus at La Parma: the regular menu, offering individual portions of 14 appetizers ($6.75 to $15.95), 14 salads ($6.25 to $15.75), 16 pastas ($7.75 to $15.75) and 22 main courses ($10.75 to $24.75). Most of the prices tended to be towards the middle of the range. A better value is the "All Inclusive Lunch" for $17.95, which is offered from 12 to 3 p.m., Monday through Friday. For one price, you get a choice of appetizer (salad, soup, Fried Zucchini, Stuffed Mushrooms or Baked Clams), a choice of pasta (Rigatoni with Filletto di Pomadoro, Penne Marinara, Rigatoni Meat Sauce, Penne Tomato Sauce or Manicotti), an entrée (Eggplant Rollatini, Chicken Parmigiana, Chicken Picatta, Chicken Marsala, or Veal Parmigiana), plus a soft drink and tea or coffee. For an extra $5 you can get a glass of the house wine (Montepulciano is the red, Trebbiano is the white) or one of three desserts (Chocolate Mousse Cake, Mini Cannolis or ice cream). Other desserts are available off the regular menu.

Half the table ordered the all inclusive lunch, half ordered from the regular menu. For appetizers, we tried the Fried Zucchini and Baked Clams (both were part of the all inclusive lunch) and an order of the Fried Pepper appetizer. The zucchini was excellent — well done, crispy, and served with a side of warm marinara sauce for dipping. The portion was huge — all four of us ate from it and we still didn't quite finish it. The clams (about a half dozen of them) were deemed "good, but not great" — and given a five out of 10 on the scorecard. The two friends who ordered off the regular menu shared the Fried Peppers, which turned out to be a large plate of sautéed peppers and onions, what you might find accompanying sausage on a hero. While it was tasty enough, it was not what they had expected and they judged it as more of a side dish than an appetizer.

The pasta course (for two of us) was next. I had the Rigatoni with Filletto di Pomadoro, which roughly translates to rigatoni with pieces of tomatoes. The portion was ample — between that and the zucchini, I could have called it quits. The sauce was quite good, with chunks of tomatoes and fresh basil throughout. My friend had the Rigatoni with Meat Sauce, with a hearty sauce that was good, but the Filletto di Pomodoro seemed to be the winner. Surprisingly, they did not offer fresh grated cheese (a bowl of cheese was placed on the table) and we had to ask to get fresh pepper. (This was sort of unusual in an Italian restaurant).

The main course is when things when awry. Two friends had ordered the Seafood Salad off the regular menu (one with the Romaine that it comes with, and one with Mesclun greens). The greens were not the problem, the seafood was. The salad was loaded with baby octopus, shrimp, and other (some unrecognizable) seafood, but at the first taste both friends made a face and put their forks down. "I hate it," said one friend. The salads, which they sent back, were described as "waterlogged, fishy-tasting, with flavorless shrimp." The waiter, who I must add was incredibly nice and dealing with a very difficult situation, took the salads back and went to speak to the chef. When he returned, he told us "the chef agrees with you." While we were glad that the chef agreed, we kind of wish he would have tried his own food before serving it. My friends, full from the appetizers, decided to skip getting a replacement and ordered dessert instead.

The friend and I, who ordered from the all inclusive lunch, however, had a totally different experience. I had the Chicken Picatta as my main dish and it was fabulous. A large, boneless chicken breast, dipped in egg and sautéed with a heavenly lemon butter wine sauce and capers (which I love and the waiter made sure I had lots of them). It was way too much food though, so I brought most of it home and had it for dinner. My friend had the Veal Parmigiana, which she called "outrageous!" The veal was tender and properly done and the sauce was excellent. She ate it with great enthusiasm.

For dessert we tried the Tiramisu, which was described variously as "good," "the ladyfingers are a little over-saturated with liquor," "texture isn't creamy enough," and "best I ever had." (This is what happens when you have lunch with three other women). The other dessert, a Ricotta Cheesecake, was described as good but a bit on the dry side.

Our waiter was wonderful, and was doing his best under difficult circumstances. His busboy was absent, so he was both waiting, and busing the tables (while the hostess sat idly at the front desk). The poor waiter was practically running, trying to get to all the tables in a timely manner. He managed to spill a whole cup of hot coffee over himself and still remain pleasant. The second cup of coffee that he brought my friend was cracked and leaking — another little mishap.

La Parma has a lot of potential for lunch. It is a lovely space, and well suited for a business or special occasion meal. If you stick with the All Inclusive Lunch Menu, and add a glass of wine or dessert, you get great value and an enormous amount of food for a check (for two with tax and tip) of around $50. I'd avoid the seafood salad however, as there are plenty of other places nearby for that. Stick with the Italian specialties that this restaurant is known for.