Food and service at San Antonio’s unassuming Pazzo Pastaria worthy of raves
The neighborhood eatery opened in 2023 to considerable fanfare, including a Current Best Of San Antonio win for Best New Restaurant. Pazzo Pastaria in San Antonio has been well-received for its food and service, opening in 2023. The restaurant, which opened with fanfare and won a Current Best Of San Antonio for Best New Restaurant, has been praised for its innovative bolognese and pasta carbonara. The chef Sean Archer and his staff make all pastas, bread, dressings, sauces and desserts on-site. The food was described as a highlight of the restaurant's service and presentation. The pasta was particularly lauded for its unique twist on the classic pancetta sauce. The meat-based sauce, a staple in Italian cuisine, was praised for being more subtle and refined than any other one.
公開済み : 10ヶ月前 沿って Nina Rangel の Lifestyle
Come a little early and Pazzo Pastaria might appear like just another San Antonio mom-and-pop Italian eatery struggling to make it. On our first visit, around 5 p.m. on a Wednesday, the place was bare, save for a pair of diners at a small table in the corner.
It came as a surprise when the hostess asked if we had a reservation.
About half an hour into our meal, the reason behind her inquiry became obvious. By the time our entrees arrived, the dining room was a hub of energy. Boisterous families filled every table and waitstaff buzzed around the dining room. Before our eyes, Pazzo Pastaria transformed into bustling and hospitable dining spot that would make any nonna proud.
The unassuming eatery opened in 2023 to considerable fanfare, including a Current Best Of San Antonio win for Best New Restaurant.
After recent visits, we can say the praise is well-deserved.
During that first Pazzo dinner, we started with that week’s special spedini, fresh mozzarella batons wrapped in shaved prosciutto and flash-grilled. Served on a bed of fresh spinach, tossed with balsamic vinaigrette and parmesan cheese, the delectable morsels presented the perfect balance of salty, creamy and tangy. A fine start, indeed.
My dining partner’s entree, a weekly special cleverly dubbed the Uptown Cluck, featured a breaded chicken cutlet topped with prosciutto and melty fontina cheese and a whole grain mustard cream sauce. The mammoth cutlet rested atop buttered house-made fettuccine tossed with crisp sautéed green beans and roasted mushrooms.
Mustard sauces can all too frequently cross the line from elegant into pungent, the bitter flavor becoming overpowering. Here, the balance was perfect. The grains of the mustard provided texture and just enough sharp flavor, while heavy cream and white wine flavors imparted rich and dry notes, respectively.
Speaking of sauces, celebrity chef Jason Dady’s bolognese has long stood out as the city’s best. Pazzo Pastaria’s iteration knocked Dady’s off the pedestal. The savory meat-based sauce, a staple in Italian cuisine, typically features ground beef, veal or pork, finely diced celery, carrot and onion, tomato paste, wine and a touch of milk. Pazzo chef Sean Archer also adds sliced mushrooms and luscious dollops of mascarpone cheese. Served over handmade spaghetti, his is now the version to beat.
Worthy of note, Archer and his crew make all pastas, bread, dressings, sauces and desserts on-site.
Both entrees were large enough to leave leftovers, so we ordered dessert to go, too. The dense, chocolatey flourless torte caprese held up just fine on the journey home, its ganache topping still fudgy and smooth when we cracked into it later. Pazzo’s limoncello tiramisu replaces the traditional coffee- or espresso-soaked lady finger layers with the Italian pastries soaked in limoncello syrup. Layered with mascarpone cream, candied lemons and raspberries, the dessert was refreshing and light, and a welcome change from the toasty, roasty coffee flavors normally encountered with the classic version.
A second visit began with the spinach-artichoke dip, which arrived hot and bubbling with toasted crostini. Beyond providing Instagram-worthy cheese pulls, the appetizer’s blend of wilted spinach, fresh garlic, mozzarella and a touch of alfredo sauce proved so addictive we had to stop lest we run out of room for our entrees.
The spaghetti carbonara featured the classic combination of crispy pancetta — or salt-cured pork belly — alongside green peas, pecorino cheese and black pepper mixed with a sauce made from pasta water, egg and egg yolk. Pazzo’s version of the sauce was slightly thinner than the norm, but the flavor was unmatched.
The fettuccine della casa, which featured a creamy red chili-infused Alfredo sauce, loaded with pancetta and prosciutto — two kinds of oh-so-tasty cured pork — along with roasted mushrooms, and green peas proved similarly satisfying. We added grilled shrimp, because why not. In all, the dish was a delightful departure from other, less complicated Alfredo-based dishes we’ve had recently. Be warned, though: the portion is big enough for two to three meals.
The third guest in our party — a 7-year-old spaghetti connoisseur — ordered the slow-simmered meatballs and spaghetti. Served with a robust red sauce and a generous helping of shaved parmesan, the dish received two thumbs up from the young diner. A taste test of our own confirmed the deep flavors in both the sauce and meatballs, suggesting much time and care had gone into both.
During a final solo lunch visit, a cup of tomato bisque and a mista salad also turned out to be solid wins. The silky soup featured pureed sun-dried and plum tomatoes, cream, garlic and fresh basil. It was just enough for a midday refuel. The salad offered spinach, romaine, pickled red onion, shaved carrot and tomato tossed in a flavorful Dijon vinaigrette.
Each of the portions ran just $5. While the servings didn’t require the takeaway boxes that seem necessary during dinner at Pazzo, the combo was still a lunchtime bargain.
Pazzo clearly puts considerable care into its food, and the same was clear about the service, which was attentive without being smothering. Staff members seemed to have ample practice reading their tables and delivering just the amount of attention needed.
On our second visit, we asked our server what wine would do well with the creamy, cured pork-laden fettuccine della casa. After admitting he wasn’t a wine connoisseur, he offered to enlist the help of the general manager. She suggested a light pinot grigio, and the wine’s apple and pear notes did a nice job cutting through the dish’s richness. The suggestion felt as if it came from someone who knows the menu and wine list intimately.
Speaking of that modest list, it offers a variety of selections from California and Italy as well as a small menu of “winetails” featuring syrups, purees and hand-pressed orangeade, all made in house.
Clearly, Pazzo Pastaria is a mom-and-pop hidden gem that won’t remain hidden much longer. Its consistently delicious food, just-attentive-enough service and general affordability ensure that much. The restaurant’s unassuming exterior gives way to a cozy, fulfilling experience, one that feeds the soul just as well as it nourishes the body. Each dish exudes a level of practiced attention typically not found outside a grandmother’s kitchen.
It brings to mind an Italian proverb: la cucina piccola fal la casa grande. A small kitchen makes the house big.
トピック: Food & Drink