Parma Sausage Products - Pittsburgh

A few years ago, this restaurant was outstanding, but it seems to have lost its charm. What was once the best has now turned into quite the disappointment. The sausage is heavily seasoned with garlic, presumably to cover up the unpleasant odor of the cheap pork they use. I bought some yesterday for the first time in years to use in a lentil and bean dish I slow-cook overnight. As an accomplished chef, I can confidently say that it completely ruined my meal. Now, I have to throw it all away because the smell is so off-putting that it's unbearable.

This restaurant offers top-quality meats sourced from a historic site in Pittsburgh. The fact that many of the finest restaurants and grocery stores feature their products speaks to the exceptional quality and consistent demand, thanks to the preservation of traditional curing recipes.

I experienced shockingly rude service at this restaurant. I walked in just two minutes before closing and was met with nothing but surprised expressions instead of a greeting. The owner rushed to the door to lock it before even asking me what I wanted to order from his establishment.

We love Parma's products, BUT, they sure make it hard to purchase. Their retail hours have shifted several times in the past year. Once open at 8, or 7, then 9 and now 10am. Even now you can check their website which says open at 9am but in actuality their store doesn't open until 10am. We travel from the south and make a special stop but missed because of this confused situation.

I grew up eating Italian sausage from Orsini's in Old Saybrook, Connecticut. It was the taste of my childhood. When I went to school in San Francisco I enjoyed Italian Sausage from Molinari. After moving back to the East Coast old man Orsini closed shop and retired, so I had to move to Pittsburgh to get my fix.And I'm sure glad I did. Parma Sausage not only makes the finest Italian sausage, but also the best salami and other cured pork products. They make other specialty sausage that is just as good.Parma is a third generation family company specializing in Italian pork products and their quality can't be beat. The employees are knowledgeable, and slice the products to the appropriate thickness without being told. They also sell hams for the holidays, but they sell out, so ask about being added to the Ham List early in the year. You won't be sorry.My partner is a vegetarian, but she loves the guys in Parma, and delights in having her name on the Ham List, which she dubs the Marvin Ham List.Everything is great here, but my favorites are the Sicilian sausage and the Genoveta salami.