Parla

“So good. From the service, to the atmosphere, drinks, to the food. Can’t go wrong with anything you get. Would come back for the appetizers/small plates and try more dishes next time!”

“Came here because of the great reviews and the food but left with the cutest pictures and the most memorable service ever. Brant and Ashely were absolutely wonderful. They were incredibly attentive and offered suggestions on foods I would like. I had the risotto and Brussels sprouts and it was sooo yummy. The atmosphere is entirely homey, nostalgic, and welcoming! Come here if you’re looking for a great time :)”

“Parla was a planned brunch stop on a girl's weekend inspired purely from a few good reviews, a humorous menu and the option to roll a D20 for a mystery cocktail. The atmosphere was warm and bright for a cold February morning. The staff was super personal and made great recommendations, and it was clear how much Parla was an intense labor of love. Three out of four of us rolled for a mystery cocktail (the odds were in our favor) and all had uniquely crafted drinks you are unlikely to encounter in your average bar (highly recommend trying one of the roasted beet shrub options, we were surprised by just how good it was). The brunch menu was our biggest obstacle as we would have ideally liked to try one of everything...and everything was excellent. Chicken and waffles, the crackwich, and the Maine Benny were our final picks. Cooked to perfection, great flavors even when we thought we knew what to expect. Honestly, this was one of the highlights of our trip. Prices were competitive with other breakfast and brunch locations. If you are set on them, I'd advise a reservation as the space is small! Definitely recommend!”

“Fun, Fun, Fun tiny bar in Little Italy on North End. Mixologist are so in to their craft here, using obscure liquors and mixes. Only 6 seats at the bar. Very intimate place. Interestingly decorated. So fun. You just gotta go.”

“We finally got some redemption in the North End. For two straight years, my top-tier chum who literally went to the school of hospitality and I mistakenly thought we could just wing it in the North End prior to Celtics games on the weekends and find a decent place to eat without a reservation. We were burned two times (not egregiously, but where we had to go to mediocre establishments that had seating availability for a reason), but no more. Parla isn't an off-the-charts Italian restaurant, but it was above average and the cocktail situation is excellent. I stumbled across Parla last year when we were looking for dining options, but alas, not in time to secure a reservation. The cocktail menu looked intriguing (particularly their ye olde shrub cocktail mix and match section) and the location seemed convenient. This time around we made dinner reservations about two months in advance, which I'd pretty much recommend for anything in this neighborhood if you have the ability. We came by this past Sunday before the Celtics/Timberwolves around 5pm in the rain. The entrance is a little nondescript but ultimately easy enough to spot. It's a pretty intimate interior with limited seating (maybe 10 tables or so?) and only four bar stools at the bar in the back. The food we had was good, and yet not the selling point - sort of a compliment, sort of not. We split the seared octopus app, which was interesting but ultimately not my favorite way to eat that particular seafood; I'm used to it grilled. We were both a little surprised to see it in salad form and had to refer back to the menu, which did mention one of the other ingredients as arugula (a fair clue). I would recommend they put the word "salad" in the official name of the app though; my guess is we probably opt for something else if we had that additional information. That said, it was fine - I wasn't crazy about the pairing of octopus and balsamic vinegar/arugula, which to me and my chum dominated the palate over the octopus, which should totally be the star of the dish. For my entree, I went with the chicken parm, which was very good - decent portion and I almost finished it despite eating two other meals fairly recently. Interestingly, the best part is the sauce - it's a sweeter sauce that's thick but not chunky. Really good, and something I'd get again in a pinch. The cocktails are really something. I stumbled a little out of the gate with the shrub section, opting for a mule with strawberry peppercorn. It wasn't bad but for my palate, it felt off - that's a drink I should be getting in July, not a nippy/rainy March evening. On me. But I shifted to a very cool gimmick they had, which I believe was called Dungeon Master (an homage to D&D?), where you rolled a 20-sided die and had to pick whatever cocktail was associated with the specific number, no questions asked. My chum gets a little naughty with gin so couldn't risk it and had to just watch mournfully on the other side of the table as I played twice. Both of my mystery cocktails had gin in it, so...probably the right decision, at least from my perspective. I don't want to provide spoilers and damage the integrity of the game, but the nuanced layers to each drink are exactly why I love mixology/a good cocktail - the only kind of science I truly get behind. Very cool feature and something I'd love to make an annual tradition. Our waitress was great. She initially seemed a little eccentric/ditzy (in a good way), but it was clear that that was a mirage - she was VERY observant and at the end of the meal knew my first name for my specific credit card because earlier she'd noticed my head tilt when someone at another table used it. Really impressive stuff and a huge asset for the restaurant. She also was super knowledgeable about the menu and the cocktails specifically, and it was fun to guess what was in each of my mystery beverages with her after I took a few experimental nips. Very cool, very unique establishment. Glad to finally find a selling point for the North End.”