II Pastaio Ristorante — Restaurant in Boulder

Oh No, Blasphemously Sticky, Clumpy Pasta!!! Having recently moved to Boulder, I was looking for an Italian place in town to take my folks visiting from back East. Based on a large number of excellent reviews, we decided to give IL Pastaio a try. Like another reviewer, I'm of Italian ethnicity (not 100% but darn close with Italian genes on both sides!). I really wanted to give this restaurant a great review but I really just can't. We went to eat at about 7 p.m. on a Wednesday evening and all the tables but one were full, so I thought that was a good sign that this would be a great meal. Additionally, staff asked us if we'd called in ahead of time and reserved and when we indicated we hadn't, they were very accommodating and seated our party of 4 right away in the one and only table for four that was empty, so although the establishment is in a very small space and the atmosphere itself was very loud and a bit of a tight squeeze with everyone wedged into the space, so far so good. Waitstaff was excellent in all respects. The sizeable individual loaves of bread were also authentic and delicious -- a little shaker of herbs would have been a nice addition to add to the oil available on the table. What I assume was the owner was the real deal, and it was nice to hear lovely lilting Italian being spoken in the open kitchen area. However, things went downhilll as soon as our food came out. Although the lasagna was excellent and the ravioli filling of spinach and ricotta was also delicious, the pasta in the other 2 dishes was completely and hopelessly stuck together, a pretty big culinary no-no for Italian food . The fresh basil garnish was truly lovely, but the ravioli pasta was on the overly al denti, thickish side. The meatballs were decent but nothing that wowed any of us - definitely NOT like my mama makes! Pluses: Fast service, nice waitstaff, food served timely, a drawing for a free bottle of wine, good bread. Cons: Higher-end prices for sub-par food, i.e., sticky pasta, very cramped, very loud. Tall tables and chairs helped mitigate the cramped feel somewhat, but not quite enough. This is not a place for the claustrophobic or one looking for a relaxing, cozy, quiet setting, at least not during the time we went to dinner (maybe it's quieter some other time of day). I'm sorry to say it, but for the cost of the dinner, I need unsticky pasta and a more relaxing atmosphere, so I won't be returning to...

First time visitors. The reviews brought us in. I had looked at this website years prior and saw tables in a dining room along with a photo of Frankie Avalon. I had wished to try this place several times but they are not open on weekends. We visited in January 2019 and the seating was all high-tops. There's no table service; you walk up to the food in the case and choose what you want. The staff is very friendly but they run through the food items so quickly, it's hard to understand. Couple that with other people waiting behind you and it's a rushed experience for lunch. The tables are small when there's 3 or 4 of you and everyone is saying excuse me as they try to maneuver around one another. It was busy at lunch. The reason I wouldn't return is the fact that garlic is in everything and in great quantities. I had the chicken with green beans, salad, and a homemade roll and all I could taste was garlic. The chicken was moist and cooked to perfection as were the green beans. The salad was excellent but again, I didn't come in for the garlic. The roll, although applauded for being homemade, had not flavor. Oil and vinegar was provided on the table but no butter for roll. Where would you place the oil and vinegar if you wanted to dip your roll into it? They pile your lunch on one plate and there's no room for anything else nor a separate dish...

Ma'am, please keep your mask on!

First of all, this place sells terrific food. They're nice people and I really like them. It's a great place to buy fresh pasta and sauce to make at home.

But today when I was there picking up some pasta to make for Valentine's day one of the owners kept taking her mask off! Even when it was on it wasn't covering her nose. And she kept pulling it down! The pandemic isn't over and there is no good reason to be taking your mask off if you are not actively eating or drinking. You DO NOT need to pull your mask down to talk! I know it feels like it's harder to be understood when you're talking with a mask on, especially if you're speaking in a second language, but thats no excuse to be taking it off.

Again, I really like this place and I want them to make it through the pandemic. But I'd be devastated if anyone who works there got sick! Not to mention the risk of spreading it to customers.

Wearing a mask and wearing it correctly is really important right now. If yours is uncomfortable or ineffective, try a different one. There are all sorts on the market these days and there is no good excuse to not protect yourself and others from dangerous diseases.

Please be as safe...