"We are going back to education. I have been trying to cook right in the deli doing demonstrations," Burnham says. And that's just the start of the changes in store. "I think we are going to do cheese flights where people can come in and try different cheeses from Italy," he continues. "And we are going to do other food tastings down the road, so it's going to be exciting."
Burnham plans to make the in-store experience more than just a trip to the market. "We want to get our focus back on customer service and make people feel welcome when they come here," he says. "We want to get them excited about different food products."
Chocolate fettuccini, for example, which Burnham packaged up yesterday. "It's made with cocoa, a pinch of clove and nutmeg," he explains. "I like to serve it with winter veggies like acorn squash, and some sage or game meats like elk or pheasant. It's also great with ice cream."
Customers who don't have time to eat at Parisi should be able to get take-out meals of the same quality as the fare coming out of Simone Parisi's kitchen, he continues: "What we are going to be focused on is more readily available take-home meals, where the menu will be set and you can take home full meals to reheat and serve. We are focusing on extra virgin olive oil, garlic, fresh herbs and keeping the integrity of the products."
Keeping the integrity, but also changing the offerings daily. "I just like to keep it a mystery," Burnham explains. "In general, I'm just happy to be here and to be working with Simone and the vision he has for his restaurant where we can educate people of the finer aspects of Italian cuisine."
You can reach Parisi's Gastronomia at 303-561-0234.
