Have you ever had one of those meals at a restaurant where every single thing was delicious. I mean, like each thing you put in your mouth was better than the last?
…get your mind out of the gutter, guys.
Anyways, I had that type of meal last Friday and holy smokes, I’m already counting down the days until Mike and I can go back to La Traviata for another date night.
The bruschetta was a “build it yourself” dish, which worked out perfectly because I like to control the amount of toppings on mine. (I’m not a fan of overflowing tomatoes 🤷🏻♀️). The calamari was battered and fried to perfection. Then, when the mains came out – holy smokes. Honestly, I think this was the best chicken parm I have ever had…and I have had a lot of chicken parm.
The key to a good chicken parm, in my humble opinion, relies on a few factors.
- The chicken itself. It needs to be pounded out to an even thickness throughout. This will help with the cooking process, ensuring it’s cooked evenly.
- The breading. A good chicken parm will have a perfectly seasoned bread crumb breading that compliments the chicken and sauce and cheese.
- Which brings me to the cheese. Like I said – I’ve had my fair share of chicken parms in my life, and I’ve seen it all. I’ve seen a restaurant try to pull of a chicken parm using cheddar cheese. Excuse me while I dry heave. NO THANK YOU. Do it right, with mozzarella and parmesan, or don’t do it at all. Mmmkay?
- A good chicken parm will have enough sauce to ensure every bite gets a little bit of everything, but not too much sauce that it’s drowning and causing a soggy cutlet. Ain’t nobody got time for that.
- The sides are crucial too. I mean, if it’s a chicken parm sandwich – that’s a completely different story. Then the bread would play a huge factor. But serving chicken parm as your main means you have to have the right sides. Pasta is an obvious choice, and in my opinion – the right one.
- The breading. A good chicken parm will have a perfectly seasoned bread crumb breading that compliments the chicken and sauce and cheese.
- Which brings me to the cheese. Like I said – I’ve had my fair share of chicken parms in my life, and I’ve seen it all. I’ve seen a restaurant try to pull of a chicken parm using cheddar cheese. Excuse me while I dry heave. NO THANK YOU. Do it right, with mozzarella and parmesan, or don’t do it at all. Mmmkay?
- A good chicken parm will have enough sauce to ensure every bite gets a little bit of everything, but not too much sauce that it’s drowning and causing a soggy cutlet. Ain’t nobody got time for that.
- The sides are crucial too. I mean, if it’s a chicken parm sandwich – that’s a completely different story. Then the bread would play a huge factor. But serving chicken parm as your main means you have to have the right sides. Pasta is an obvious choice, and in my opinion – the right one.
La Traviata knocks it out of the park on all counts. The chicken was the perfect portion, and the breading, cheese, and sauce were not only delicious – but evenly distributed meaning every bite got some of the ooey gooey deliciousness. The side of pasta was perfectly al dente and a savoury companion for the main event.
BRB – I’m drooling on my keyboard.
Now that we live midtown-ish, it takes a lot of effort to go downtown. So to find this amazing hidden gem only a 13 minute drive from our place is a god send! 🙌🏼
So, if you’re ever up in North York – hit up La Traviata and thank me later. Even better – bring me with you!
La Traviata
416.635 8891
852 Wilson Avenue
North York, ON
M3K 1E5
To be 100% honest, Mike’s friend owns this restaurant – but none, I repeat none, of this is sponsored. I wasn’t asked to write this post. We paid for our dinner, and are eagerly planning our next visit.
PS: I HATE that my numbered list capped out at 9…I may come back and randomly add something to make it 10, because #ocd.
