Since 2009, The Parlor has been a favorite in the neighborhood around 19th Street and Camelback, and while regulars love the pizza, they know there’s much more than wood-fired pies on the menu.
“Something I have always told people is, absolutely, the pizza is 10 out of 10, but the pasta also is a must-try,” said general manager Amanda May.
“We’re making pasta every day,” said executive chef Zeus Miranda Felix. In fact, just a handful of menu items come from out of the house – one of them the bread, from Noble Bakery. “We use a lot of local farms, and almost everything we do is just simple done right. We don’t try to over-execute. Everything is more true Italian, where it’s a little bit more rustic.”
An example: A deceptively simple pizza combination with rustic and chunky smoked tomato sauce, fresh burrata, prosciutto, Parmesan and oregano.
Over the years, The Parlor has undergone renovations to include a patio, warmed by a wood fire and enclosed by high walls that block out the noise from Camelback, making it a quiet haven perfect for cocktails and conversation on cool evenings. There’s also a large bar with tiers of bottles containing spirits, mixers and colorful infusions, most of them made in-house,
Miranda Felix describes The Parlor as a “multiverse of a restaurant.” Guests can gather in one area for a business meeting while a family may have a pizza with their kids in another spot. Couples having a date share appetizers and cocktails at the bar or settle by the fire in the patio.
Over the years, owner Aric Mai and his team have built a neighborhood gathering spot where guests enjoy dishes that “have been on the menu for ages,” Miranda Felix said. The chef took his first line cook job there, in 2014, and a few years later made the traditional pilgrimage through other local kitchens, honing his craft, before returning as executive chef last January.
“One of the reasons I chose to come back was that some of the guys I worked with 10 years ago are still here,” he said. “In this industry, the turnover rate is ridiculous, and to have a place where not only the back of the house but the front of the house has managed to stay here a long time speaks volumes to me. I love the crew here.”
May has been with The Parlor for nearly nine years, working at the same time as a pastry chef in other restaurants. At The Parlor, she worked her way up in various roles including greeter and server before being named general manager a little more than a year ago.
They both have long experience with dishes that are menu mainstays. Pappardelle bolognese and the pesto chitarra with spaghetti, basil pesto, roasted tomato, parmesan and pine nuts are two favorites, along with The Parlor insalata. “It’s a little bit of everything,” Miranda Felix said. “Genoa salami, onions, olives, chickpeas, tomatoes, cucumbers, oregano vinaigrette – it’s basically a pasta salad without the pasta.”
Menu favorites from The Parlor include Amarena cherry cake, upper left, Parlor insalata, pesto chitarra and Roma pizza with prosciutto (photo by Darryl Webb for North Central News). 
Parlor insalata (photo by Darryl Webb for North Central News) 
Amarena cherry cake (photo by Darryl Webb for North Central News) 
Pesto chitarra photo by Darryl Webb for North Central News) 
Roma pizza with prosciutto (photo by Darryl Webb for North Central News)
Another favorite is fritto misto, with crispy calamari and shrimp. “It’s one of those dishes that every other table has to have,” May said. “Ours is lightly breaded, well-seasoned, with beautiful romesco sauce and grilled lemon.”
And there’s a killer chocolate cake with Amarena cherry sauce and balsamic vinegar in the batter, served with cherry sauce, cherries and a mountaintop of whipped cream and chocolate shavings. “It’s very rich but also well-balanced,” May said.
In addition to his menu offerings, Miranda Felix prides himself on frugality in his kitchen, much like you’d find in a traditional Italian farmhouse kitchen. “There’s not much that doesn’t get used up here,” he said.
To wit: Chopped bits of salami salvaged from the slicing machine add flavor and texture to the Bolognese. The bread becomes garlic breadcrumbs and croutons for Caesar salad. More leftover bread finds its way into steak panzanella salad – New York strip, mixed greens, cucumber, tomato gastrique, onion, romesco, white balsamic, focaccia and those croutons, soaking up the liquids.”
While the menu has much to admire, don’t pass up the bar. Miranda Felix is equally proud of The Parlor’s extensive wine list and drinks menu with house-made syrups, juices and infusions.
The Parlor, 1916 E. Camelback Road, is open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Tuesday through Thursday; 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday; and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday. For information, call 602-248-2480 or visit www.theparlor.us.
