Parmageddon

Who needs to be eating fresh baguettes in the main square of the insanely picturesque Rennes when you could instead be experience “Parmageddon” at the Bull Creek Tavern?

I am not sure if this is just an Australian phenomenon but one of the most universal (or is that Australiversal) items on Pub/Hotel/Taven menus is “Chicken Parimigiana”

Now I have never been to Italy where I presume this romantic sounding dish originates so I cannot say that I have eaten this delicious delicacy in its original form.

All I can say is that this “Chicken of Parma” is the staple menu item of all good Australian hostelries and the “Parmi” as it is fondly known is basically a large fried crumbed chicken breast covered with a slice of ham, Neapolitan sauce and quantities of cheese and then grilled. (not ideal for those with coronary complaints)

The type of tomato sauce and cheese vary and usually the size of the cutlet is the ultimate indicator of quality. I have had people remember with great fondness Parmis of such immense size that they hung over the plates and must have come from giant mutant chickens. I have also eaten a parmi with kangaroo fillets replacing the slice of ham as an uniquely Australian innovation.

Now just this evening we visited our local and enticingly named “Bull Creek Tavern” and I feasted on a “Bully Plate” which was covered in a great variety of finger foods while my companions enjoyed a sumptuous “poisson et frites” feast. We were thrilled to learn that Sundays were now to be known as “Parmageddon” where Parmi lovers could, for a moderate fee, feast on immense Parmigianas to their hearts content (or attack).

While football fans (Australian Rules of course, not that “other” football) and flocks of bearded hipsters added colour to the local mise en scene we enjoyed our sophisticated dinner at “The Bully” as it is fondly known and left, promising ourselves to return for “Parmageddon” when our hearts next craved this delicacy from Parma here in our own romantic suburb of “Bull Creek”.