Pastai, a inimitable artisan pasta bar, will open its doors on March 5, 2013 in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood. An Italian term for “the pasta makers”, this 32-seat establishment allows its patrons to sip fine wines and spirits while observing the chefs in an enclosed kitchen area creating fresh, homemade pasta daily. Pastas in production will be ravioli with multiple types of stuffing, cavatelli, tagliatelle, pappardelle, penne, orecchiette, paccheri, fusilli, bucatini, spaghetti and more and all hand prepared in-house on a specialized Arcobaleno pasta machine.
Located at 186 Ninth Avenue between West 21st and West 22nd Streets with a ‘vintage modern’ feel, Pastai is the second restaurant in owner Chef Melissa Muller Daka‘s portfolio, following the success of EOLO: Sicilia a Tavola, Chef Melissa’s love letter to Sicily. In keeping with Chef Melissa’s passion for fresh, organic, local produce, Pastai offers seasonal menus dedicated to southern Italian cuisine sourcing produce from New York producers. Pastai’s house-made pasta and sauces will be available for purchase in the restaurant also.
Pastai will be open Mondays to Thursdays from 7 AM-2 AM, Fridays from 7 AM-3 AM, Saturdays from 10 AM-3 AM, and Sundays 10 AM-1 AM. Brunch will be served on Saturdays and Sundays. Once a month in its 950-square foot dining room, Pastai will host wine tasting dinners and children’s pasta-making classes. When not in the kitchen, Chef Melissa Muller Daka is a volunteer chef at a local public elementary school as part of the ‘Chefs Move to Schools’ initiative.
For more information about Pastai and it’s scheduled March opening, please visit www.pastainyc.com, “Like” Pastai on Facebook, and follow Chef Melissa on Twitter (@ChefMelissa).
