Amp 150

It was our first visit to Amp 150 since the departure of Ellis Cooley and the entry of Jeffrey Jarrett from Palate. We really enjoyed the tasty intricacies and unexpected combinations at Palate, so we had high hopes for our meal!

Right away, the staff was very attentive and accommodating. We had a small issue with our first starter, and it was quickly rectified without us even asking. Sous-Chef Melissa Khoury delivered up a bevy of salads and small plates, each fresh and flavorful with beautiful presentation.

Some of the things we tried over the course of the evening:

Pasta Al Ceppo - Fantastic! Perfectly cooked al dente pasta, with eggplant confit, roasted red peppers, arugula, and pine nuts. The eggplant, chopped so fine and reduced to a thick consistency, had such intense flavor. It clung to every noodle, making every bite equally tasty.

He enjoyed the Seared Scallops which were cooked perfectly.

Broccolini with chili paste and sesame seeds, had just the right amount of heat and sweetness and crunchiness of the broccoli.

Panzanella Salad - Can't beat the fresh tomatoes right now!

Beet Salad - I am not a fan of beets, but was floored when I tasted, and ended up enjoying this salad. The beets were mild in flavor and just worked with the other ingredients, especially the goat cheese fondue.

There were lots of vegetarian options on the menu - I had a hard time picking. I'll have to go back to try the rest!

Vivo Ristorante

We checked out Vivo Ristorante, a semi-new Italian restaurant in Parma this weekend and loved it. It has a cool atmosphere with an open kitchen to watch the action from the large bar. There was a wait but it was worth it! We started at the bar, and decided to stay put even when our table became available, because the bartender Jim took such great care of us! The food was outstanding. We started with Arancini (risotto balls), which were half-priced at happy hour time, and made them an incredible deal. They were delicious, as was the accompanying marinara and pesto drizzle. I had the Gnocchi Rosa (minus the sausage, since I'm vegetarian) and he had the Pistachio Crusted Grouper. Both were very generous portions, cooked perfectly, and very flavorful. By the way, there were plenty of vegetarian options and I'll be back to work my way through them

Bistro 185

Went to Bistro 185 last night for one of their VEGAN nights and my tastebuds were dancing. I wish I could go back and have it all again tonight!

It was a 3 for $30 and included a Grilled Caesar Salad, a Barbecue Tofu over a roasted sweet potato and this amazing grilled corn and edamame succotash, and this sweet little jalapeno cornbread, and then a strawberry shortcake complete with vegan ice cream to finish.

I have been a vegetarian for over 20 years, and have not had a great version of a Caesar until last night - Bistro 185 finally nailed a vegan caesar salad!

It was one of those meals where every other word out of my mouth was OMG. Thank you Bistro 185! Absolutely delicious.