our story
Our story begins like many other great stories: two people not finding what they wanted and so creating it themselves. In 2002 when Stefano moved from Italy to the United States, he had no idea how much he’d miss the food back home. And when Rachel accepted Stefano’s third invite to go on a date, she had no idea of the lasagna dinner that would seal their future.
While there was always a glimmer of a deli, a food truck, or something food-related on the horizon…we never imagined a restaurant. On Sunday evenings we’d all cook together … it became known as Pizza Sundays. Even with a full knowledge of what pizza flavors we craved, it was difficult to find ingredients that could achieve familiar, authentic flavors. So we cooked as best we could with what we could find. Sometimes this looked like get-togethers with friends, and sometimes dinner parties, there was even the occasional 60+ group. It became a little more official in 2012 as a blip of a cooking blog.
We made trips to local fish shops and shared our polenta recipe. But that ended quickly when we moved back to Italy and became full time eaters.
Our friends took us to all their favorite spots and introduced us to chefs who prepared beautiful dinners for close friends. Then one spring morning in 2015, at an open air market in Treviso Italy , Stefano said, I have an idea. Rachel asked, What is it? Stefano, I want to open a restaurant. (Rachel, paused long enough to think, “How did I not see this coming? What else would an Italian husband want to do?!) but simply said, “What do you want to sell?” Stefano [as if he was inventing cold fusion] said profoundly, “Pasta.” The lack of imagination left Rachel speechless except to say, “I think that idea already exists.” “No,” Stefano said, “I mean fresh pasta. Just fresh pasta.”
Rachel continued to be unamazed and we returned to the restored villa we were living in just outside the town wall and mote of Treviso, Italy. But it didn’t stop. In fact, it had only started.
Stefano began researching the concept, Fresh Pasta. He found one shop in Venice and one in Rome. So one day after walking the kids to their private Catholic school, we boarded the train for a 20 minute ride to Venice. There we witnessed a small wonder: a tiny pasta shop too small for any seating with lines out the door. They were selling fresh pasta.
At the front of the line we placed an order and chatted for 5 minutes with 4 Italian men about all things pasta and Venice. We were handed our two Chinese-take-away-style boxes and were sent out of the tiny-seatless shop to find a curb somewhere in Venice to sit down and eat. It was affordable and delicious. We were sold.
In May of 2016, we visited the second shop in Rome while doing a Pasta course. We were only more convinced. This concept has since been popping up all over Italy and becoming a real trend. And after moving back to the States we decided it was a great idea we would pursue but it didn’t take root until we returned to Colorado: in Fall of 2020 our beloved Pearl Street was being evacuated by corporate America and leaving space for the little guys like us.
We leased 1911 11th St Suite 203, Boulder Colorado [between Pearl St & Walnut] and began on the journey of a lifetime. Construction took a minute. But at the end we added a little sushi-bar-style seating [inspired by the market in Cusco, Peru where diners look on as the chef prepares their meal] because we love to chat with customers when they can find a seat. It’s fun to have local Boulderites, tourist from Singapore, or even just our own kids chat it up with us. Thanks for all the fun so far-we couldn’t have done it without you all!
We have a mission: to bring authentic Italian ingredients together in traditional Italian recipes at affordable prices in a take-away concept. We use simple ingredients your grandparents would recognize in traditional Italian recipes that have been around for centuries. We do this with a limited staff in take away containers to keep prices cost friendly. We form part of a up and coming gene that has evolved from fast food to fast casual into fast fine dining – exactly what most people are looking for. Quality food in a fast format. We are happy if you choose to dine in! But like all fast genres, that’s up to you! If you want to take away, we’ve made that easy for you as well. Our goal is to introduce Italian cuisine to those who have not been to Italy and keep the authenticity authentic for those who have. We believe good food should be for everyone!