Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
architectural styling—which sadly doesn't extend into the blandly modernized,
functional rooms.
A Riverside Hotel Splurge
€€€€
Service is notably gracious at the thoroughly modern
Park Hotel
(Viale Toscanini, 4;
%
0521-289141; www.hoteltoscanini.com)
near
the center along Parma's lovely riverfront. The rooms are large (even singles,
which enjoy those extra-wide “French” beds). Reproductions of works by
Renaissance and modern masters enliven the otherwise nondescript, soothingly
pastel-shaded contemporary decor. Ask for a room in front to enjoy the river
views (double-glazed windows keep noise from the busy riverfront avenue to a
minimum). Because the hotel caters mostly to businesspeople, the management is
usually willing to lower the rack rate of
5
Toscanini
€
195 considerably during August and
other slow periods. And hey: free bikes.
Dining for All Tastes
If there's one thing that has brought the name of Parma to the attention of the
wider world, it's the food. This is, after all, where they cure that
prosciutto di
Parma
ham that costs twice as much as the domestic kind in your local deli, not
to mention that aged “cheese of parma” (in Italian:
parmigiano
) that people from
Boise to Bangkok grate over their pasta.
Speaking of pasta, the favored
primi
in Parma are tagliatelle noodles and
tortellini (look for the kind stuffed with
zucca,
or pumpkin), which come to the
table with some wonderfully creative sauces—from simple butter and sage to
arrabiata,
a “hopping mad” mix of tomatoes, onions, bits of meat, and spicy pep-
peroncino. Main courses lean heavily toward meat, including the
filletto di cavallo
(filet of horse meat), which is a staple on most menus. Parma's hallmark wine is
Lambrusco,
a rich, sparking red that goes great with pizza.
For picnics, there's a
food market
on Piazza Ghiaia, near the Palazzo della
Pilotta, open Monday to Saturday 8am to 1pm and 3 to 7pm.
€
Parma is blessed with many excellent wine bars, but the best just may be
Enoteca Fontana
5
(Via Farina, 24/a;
%
0521-286037; Tues-Sat).
Belly up to
Hamming It Up in Parma
For a true taste of Parma, in addition to visiting the outdoor food market at Piazza
Ghiaia, you should also sniff out
Salumeria Specialità di Parma
(Via Farini, 9C;
%
0521-233591; www.specialitadiparma.it)
for a huge selection of prosciutto and
other meats. Aficionados can tour the factories of the
Consorzio del Parmigiano
Reggiano
(Via Gramsci, 26C;
%
0521-292700; www.parmigiano-reggiano.it)
—
check out the Quicktime movies detailing how parmigiano is made, with free
2-hour tours Monday through Friday at 8am (book ahead at least 3 weeks); and
Consorzio del Prosciutto di Parma
(Via M. dell'Arpa, 8b; (
%
0521-243987; www.
ProsciuttodiParma.it),
with visits arranged when you call ahead.
