Last night, Heidi and I went to meet the brains behind the operation of The Parlor Pizzeria, a funky restaurant located just outside of the Biltmore Corridor. The Parlor gets its name from it’s previous life as a salon. During the remodel, the builders did a great job of retaining some of the original elements of the salon by seamlessly re-using wooden floor slats to create rustic-looking wall and cieling accents, and creating pizza-bar stools out of old salon chairs. The result is a space that feels like a modern Italian wine cellar…designed by someone with a real yen for hair.

Excecutive chef, Jared Porter, and beverage director, Joshua James, showed us 5-star hospitality. Porter introduced us to his outstanding octopus salad (yep, anti-cephalopod girl called it “outstanding”) and the very popular “Arancini”, Saffron-infused risotto balls stuffed with fontina cheese, that have been deep-fried. Heidi tossed back a few of The Parlor’s signature spring/summer cocktails, one of which was the delicious Summer Manhattan (alright–I may have taken a sip or two when she wasn’t looking). For a taste of 5:00 freedom at The Parlor in the comfort of your own home, give this recipe a try:

Ingredients

  • 2.5 OZ Woodford Reserve Bourbon
  • .05 OZ Sweet Vermouth (peach or orange infused if possible)
  • 3 Dashes Fee’s Brothers Peach Bitters
  • 1/4 of a Grilled Peach (muddled)

Shake well and strain it into a martini glass. Garnish with a wedge of grilled peach and a cherry.

For more great cocktails and beautiful Italian cuisine, make The Parlor Pizzeria the destination for your next lunch or dinner out:

Click here for the menu and location information: