The Italian-American classic that sets the tone for an entire menu
Why every Italian restaurant needs a great chicken parm
A note from Val: How Tyler’s favorite Italian dish became a Tavva sandwich
There are certain dishes that tell you everything you need to know about a restaurant.
I think chicken parm is one of them.
It’s not the fanciest thing on the menu. It’s not trendy. It’s not complicated. But because it’s such an iconic dish, it can set the tone for everything else.
If the chicken is tough, the marinara is bland, the cheese is rubbery, or the whole thing is drowning in sauce, you notice immediately. And if a restaurant can’t get a classic right, it’s hard not to wonder what the rest of the menu will be like.
That’s why Tyler orders chicken parm almost everywhere we go.
He loves the simplicity of the dish, and it’s been his go-to order at Italian restaurants since he was a kid. Some have been great. Some forgettable. Some looked amazing but were disappointing after the first bite. He’s eaten a lot of chicken parm over the years and has high expectations for how it should taste.
When I created our Chicken Parm Pasta, I spent a lot of time getting every component right. The chicken. The marinara. The basil. The cheese. The overall balance.
I knew it needed to be more than just a pasta dish on our menu. It needed to be a sandwich too.
Not a giant, heavy sandwich that leaves you feeling miserable afterward.
Not a sandwich with a thick, chewy piece of chicken that’s difficult to bite through.
Not one where the bread overpowers everything else or the marinara tastes like it came straight from a can.
A sandwich that’s unforgettable.
This sandwich starts with our homemade herb focaccia, toasted warm and spread with roasted garlic. It’s then layered with our tender, crunchy parmesan-crusted chicken.
Baked is the key.
I wanted to avoid fried chicken that can leave you feeling heavy afterward. Instead, this chicken delivers the perfect combination of melt-in-your-mouth tenderness and a crisp, flavorful crust.
It’s then finished with our house-made marinara, melted mozzarella, fresh basil chiffonade, and grated parmesan.
The result is warm, cheesy, saucy, and packed with flavor from the first bite to the last.
Honestly, I’m still not sure which version Tyler likes more—the pasta or the sandwich.
But that’s probably a good problem to have.
I can’t wait for you to try it!
Chicken Parm Sandwich Description
Tender parmesan-crusted chicken topped with house marinara, melted mozzarella, fresh basil, and grated parmesan, served on warm toasted homemade herb focaccia with roasted garlic herb spread.