Navigating the new normal and disappointing delivery via Paravicini’s | On the Table
Texture, temperature and taste — the three preeminent characteristics that aid in the assessment of a food’s quality. To fail in any of these areas is to fail completely. Fried calamari served cold is a failure. Pasta served overcooked is a failure. Even when the veal boasts a most enchanting flavor, when its breading is soggy and its temperature tepid, it’s a shameful failure.
As with most things in the past year, it’s really COVID’s fault. The pandemic has forced many to cloister, fueling a demand for delivery. We know this; it’s old news. Yet this “new normal” lingers. Menus previously unavailable for delivery are clicks away.
Truthfully, we should have known better. Italian-American cuisine is perhaps our perennial favorite, with nearly everything breaded and fried but the menu itself. So good. But with all that breading and frying there is an inherent expiration time, a countdown, signaling the encroaching death of the dish.
Face it: flaccid fillets of fried fish are … Not … Good … Eats.
Broadly, we are vocal advocates of Paravicini’s. We are suckers for classic Italian(esque) bistros with their vintage aperitif advertisements, tablecloths and low lighting. Everyone looks good sipping Chianti in a Paravicini’s booth. But with the new normal of ubiquitous carryout and delivery, a type of Pandora’s box has presented itself.
It’s a question of responsibility and knowledge. Two options readily present themselves: Either the food purveyor — who has the greatest knowledge of their own menu — ought to be responsible for the end user’s experience of quality; or the end user (you and me) — who is ultimately responsible for our own experiences — ought to seek the fullest understanding of all variables that would impact a dinning experience’s quality.
In a rough approximation, the presented dichotomy dimly mirrors that of the free market versus regulation debate. Thankfully, we continue to live in a (mostly) free market system — thus a restaurant critic has a voice. If an eatery is short sighted in offering delivery of dishes unsuited to the rigors of time and travel, ideally, then, disappointed customers’ feedback would quell the poor business practice and a newer normal would be achieved. Therefore, we suggest Paravicini’s offer a pared-down delivery menu that offers only durably motile dishes, and/or innovate its delivery method.
To be clear, this maximum is not exclusive to Paravicini’s, but applies to all restaurants participating in this new normal.
Of our three entrées, two appetizers and two desserts, only the tiramisu and cannoli withstood the trip to arrive in a state approximating that found in the restaurant’s dining room. Overall, it was a culinary travesty.
Should we ultimately be responsible? We were the ones who choose the breaded and fried fare, and then ordered delivery from 4.2 miles away. Or should Paravicini’s be responsible? They created the delivery menu; they offered online delivery for a mere $3.95.
Recently, we had the privilege of speaking with the Broadmoor’s executive chef. During a lengthy tour of the resort’s multiple restaurants and kitchens, he mentioned a practice they employ during menu development. Once a dish is prepared, the chefs will document its quality in five-minute increments noting any causes for concern as the dish “ages.” Has the sauce separated by Minute 5? Are the carrots cold at Minute 10? Such a scientific study of a menu’s each dish is not surprising for an establishment of the Broadmoor’s caliber; yet nor is its undergirding philosophy out of reach for the average eatery.
Good food is an art. Art has a creator. It is an irresponsible creator who creates without assiduous consideration of each probable experience of the art — in our particular case: texture, temperature and taste.
We commend Paravicini’s with one caveat, that a reservation is made for the dining room.
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PARAVICINI’S ITALIAN BISTRO
2802 W. Colorado Ave.
719-471-8200
Hours: 11-9 p.m. everyday
Prices: $17.25-$30.75
What you need to know: A perennial favorite for Italian-American bistro cuisine risks tarnishing its reputation over disappointing delivery.
The Paravicini’s delivery splayed across the table birthed a philosophical question of knowledge and responsibility.
The tiramisu, one of two items that held up mostly well after being subjected to the rigors of delivery. Yet while the flavor, temperature and texture remained lovely, it’s clear that the appearance left much to be desired.
Micah Redfield