Parma Restaurant — Restaurant in Fresno

My father was a chef in his later years, & studied Italian cooking in Florence, Italy. So I grew up surrounded by food snobs. I have eaten a lot of Italian food, including meals all over Italy. I consider this to be the best restaurant in the area, and among the best in the state.

The service at Parma's each time I've eaten there, has ranged from good (when they're busy) to great.

Last week we had a party of 7, including an out of town crew from NBC Nightly News, here on an unrelated segment. We made a sudden reservation, & without mentioning the visitor's identity, we were given a table with only a short wait, & the service we got was incredibly welcoming. Before we were seated, the owners came by & served us wine samples & made us feel very comfortable. We were seated after a short easy wait.

All of us ordered appetizers and entrees, aperitifs and desserts. (We each tasted other's dishes as well.) Every single bite of every single dish I tasted was excellent, authentic & delicious. I ordered the filet, and mushroom risotto, both of which were mouth watering and extraordinarily tasty. The calamari was also done perfectly, crispy but without too much batter. (Note, they do not overcook their meat, so order accordingly & inform them if you're not satisfied with it. They will make it right).

Our guests said their food was "mouth watering & perfect." I can honestly say that meal was the best dinner I've had since my last trip to Italy (literally), and it compared well with those!

This is the place to go if you want an authentic, reliably delicious meal, (or if you're trying to impress someone from out of town.)

One of the hosts of NBC Nightly News, & the producer, Sylvie, called Parma's "a delightful surprise", and a crew member who's is married to a woman from Fresno, said his wife "will be more excited to visit her hometown now."

Thank you for the best dinner I've had in...

Fine dining does not get any better. This was close to absolute perfection.

We arrived with reservations at their opening, and were promptly seated at my favorite location, a table in the back corner. A young man filled our water glasses without spilling a drop. Our server, Conner, recommended a wonderful Italian-produced Pino Grigio, which was light and fruity with a nice finish. There is not much better than a server who is like a sommelier. The wine list is quite diverse, and certainly adequate in reds, whites, and sparkles.

We got warm, fresh bread, and breadsticks, while we contemplated the menu. The cuisine is strictly meat and pasta, no seafood, but there are many great choices. My wife got the outstanding Minestrone and the Lasagna Parmigian, our niece got the Ravioli de Radiccio, and I got the Escargot, and the Rack of Lamb. Pardon my lack of Italian language here.

The escargot were large, in a tremendous traditional butter and garlic sauce, where the bread came in very handy. The lamb was perfectly cooked to order. I have never seen a lasagna presented like this before. All presentations were meticulous, as I am sure Chef Rafael demands. Dinner was nicely paced. While we were too stuffed to order off the homemade dessert menu, Conner did bring out some complimentary, lemony, wonderful Italian cookies.

We were also greeted at our table by an elegant, gracious lady, Signora Mastro, who reminded me very much of Chef Andrea, former owner of the great New Orleans restaurant the bore his name for over 30 years.

There is something about the Italian people, no matter where we go, that drives them to respect their tradition, and that seems to always make a difference. Signora Mastro is truly a...

It was wonderful we were there a week Ago for my grandson’s and his wife 15 years anniversary. There were 10 of us. From the appetizers, bread, wine everything we order was a 5 star. It’s as if we were in another country. I loved the raviolis, lamb the best I ever tasted. The tray with everything on it. Lamb, steak, chicken, special assorted Italian meats was out of this world. escargot, that you can’t hardly get anywhere we’re on the menu. We eat, we had wine, dessert. Elena is very special, she is there to greet you, to serve you, asking you if everything thing is ok. Always with a big smile. I’ve been going there for a long time. My grandson and wife have never experienced something the atmosphere, menu items they have never seen before and tasted before. I know they will be taking a lot of there client, friends most of family ME. My best place to eat. Remember the food is light, delicious you will enjoy all you want to eat. I never thought I could eat some much, no One went out filling uncomfortable for over eating. Thank you Elaina and all...