06/03/2026
I need to know. Where is YOUR favorite chicken parm?
There’s just something about it that keeps pulling me back.
No matter how many new restaurants I try, no matter how many different takes I find on it, I always seem to end up back at Ralphie's Cafe Italiano in Salem, NH
Long before Instagram, reels, rankings, and all the social media noise, Ralphie’s was already doing its thing. I remember going back when they were in the old Cumberland Farms plaza on Route 28. Back then, I got hooked on their mozzarella sticks. There was just something different about them. Crispy, cheesy, and covered with sauce. Somehow always exactly what I wanted.
But over the years, it became the chicken parm that kept me coming back.
Maybe it's the nostalgia talking. Maybe it's the consistency. Or maybe it's just because sometimes the classics don't need reinventing. A good chicken parm hits a comfort food nerve that few dishes can touch, and Ralphie's has always delivered one that scratches that itch.
It's one of those meals that immediately transports me back to a different time. Before content creation, before food pages, before I was taking pictures of every meal. Just sitting down and ordering something I knew I'd enjoy.
Some restaurants become part of your routine. Others become part of your story.
For me, Ralphie's falls firmly into the second category.