Parm Battery Park Is Now Open!

July 31, 2015

Starting in what seems like forever ago but was really just right at the tail end of 2009, Rich Torrisi, Mario Carbone and Jeff Zalaznick have transformed the look and feel (and taste!) of fine dining in this town. First there was the tasting menu at Torrisi Italian Specialties, and then, in succession, several insanely expensive but much-loved restaurants such as Carbone, ZZ's Clam Bar, Dirty French and, most recently (and slightly less pricey-ly), the lovely "coastal Italian" Santina underneath the High Line and right next door to the new Whitney. All of these are too rich for my blood, but the trio's Major Food Group have made a noteworthy exception to their high-end strategy, the excellent Parm, whose first location was on Mulberry Street, the second on the Upper West Side (which is still packed nightly), and now, finally, the third has opened in Brookfield Plaza in Battery Park City. This is terrific news for everyone who lives here, everyone who works here, everyone who comes to see lots of movies here.

Parm Open in Battery City Park

The new Parm in Battery Park City is located on the northwest corner of Brookfield Plaza, with a street-level entrance across from La Vez and the Irish Hunger Memorial. I only say that because I spent 15 minutes wandering around the Winter Garden looking for it near the food court the first time I tried to eat here. Anyway, when I finally DID find my way to Parm's front door, I wound up gorging on a meal that I've been thinking about ever since. But first, about the space itself: it's big (larger than the UWS one, even), bright, and airy, with a spacious bar and take-out area in the front, and a still-not-quite-finished dining room in the back. The design–clean, with tiled floors, shiny metallic ceilings, bursts of red everywhere and playful touches throughout–will be familiar to anyone who's been to the other Parms, and the staffers are friendly and helpful, with zero attitude to go along with their high level of cool. In other words, the BPC Parm, is a comfortable, welcoming place to get some food.

What To Eat At Parm

And the food, no surprise, is delicious. All of the usual Parm hits are on the menu, including the must-eat Warm Mozz, the first-rate Orcchiette Classico, and all of the OG sandwiches that made the place famous–but I ordered two items that I had not tried before. For a starter I wolfed down the Crispy Zucchini, thin strips of the versatile summertime veggie battered up and fried, with crunchy greens adding some color and bite, and lemon smoothing it all out. The texture and flavor here are terrific. But the best and biggest news about this Parm is the amazing Ozersky, a brand-new sandwich created in homage to the passionate and influential food writer Joshua Ozersky, and filled to bursting with things he loved: tender roast beef, big hunks of fresh mozzarella, lots of mayo, a sprinkling of hot peppers. Get the hero size for the seeded roll. This is a fantastic sandwich. I will never not be able to order this when I come here again.

For Menu and More Information on Parm

Parm in Battery Park City is located at 250 Vesey Place on the corner of North End Avenue, and is open Sunday through Thursday from 11:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m., and on Friday and Saturday until 12:00 midnight.