Pasta Louise Restaurant — Restaurant in New York

Portions are just right with good quality ingredients. You won't feel overly stuff like with the quantity of pasta they give you in Little Italy.

Pasta is freshly made good quality pasta. Cooking is ok, but not always consistent. There is some pasta clumping and sticking resulting in inconsistent texture or pasta strands stuck together. One of two stands sticking I wouldn't have minded, but one time I got 3 or 4 strands of fettuccini in a clump that was kind of a bite of douginess.

Brisket is falling off the fork perfect and crispy prosciutto deliciously crunchy.

Sauce is flavorful, but I find it overly salty. And it's consistently overly salty, which kills the flavor of the food for me. Especially when you add the crispy prosciutto on top, some dishes are even more salty than comfortable. I don't find this much salting in other restaurants, so I'm inclined to think this is the saltiness standard of this restaurant owner or chef.

I find that some of the sauces can be oily even without meat. I don't know if it's from the sauce or if it's from the sauteed mushrooms or kale or whatever, but you see droplets or small pool of clear oil on the plate or floating on your cream sauce. Not a lot, but enough to be tasted... like there is an oily film coating on your tongue. I think it's ok for a tomato based sauce as the acidity cuts through the oil, but bothers me more with a cream sauce.

Be aware that the ice tea is a mint iced tea. I didn't read the drinks menu and ordered an iced tea with lemon expecting an iced tea with a wedge of lemon. The tea came with a thin slice of lemon on the bottom of the glass and a sprig of mint floating on top. I plucked out the sprig of mint, but I couldn't taste the lemon flavor even after muddling the lemon slice my straw. I was curious as to how one little sprig of mint can be so powerfully minty... like a breath mint. It was the middle of winter and snowing out... I didn't need that much summertime refreshment. I asked the serve for an extra wedge of lemon, but the lemon couldn't mask the mint flavor. I didn't know what was wrong until I finished my tea and ordered my next glass of iced tea without the mint. The server then clarified to me that it's a mint iced tea and they don't have an iced tea without mint. So I ordered something else instead. This food rating is not based on my poor choice of drink selection... just a warning for those who want a plain iced tea.

Service is good. Very friendly staff and they ask if you have allergies and try to accommodate where they can or will let you know if it's something they can't take out of the dish.

Atmosphere is ok. Can be crowded at times. A lot of families with kids during brunch. Sometimes larger parties can take up more space than comfortable. Dinners are mainly locals as expected, and you can usually get a table on a weeknight without...

Visiting Brooklyn the evening before my half marathon, we stopped by Pasta Louise for dinner.

I had booked a reservation for Friday, but as luck would have it, the two of us were seated right away as walk-ins.

Quick note on parking: there is free street parking. We managed to parallel park nearby, but others may have to circle around a bit.

The ambiance struck me immediately: warm, inviting, and cozy, with more seating than I expected thanks to a neat little outdoor patio.

Starters: Our server pointed us to the specials, so we began with the Stracciatella focaccia (seasonal). The bread, layered with melted cheese and herbs, was excellent — quick to arrive, light but flavorful, and frankly a bit addictive. I held back after a couple of pieces, saving room for the real test: pasta.

Mains: My dinner partner ordered the Spicy Red Pesto — sun-dried tomatoes, lemon zest, garlic, Calabrian chiles, sunflower seeds. No option to add shrimp, so they took it as-is.

I went for the house favorite: Cacio e Pepe — cracked black pepper and salty pecorino — with burrata and arugula added on top.

Both dishes looked modest in portion at first, but appearances deceived; they were filling in just the right way. I tried both but, unsurprisingly, preferred my own. The pecorino on the Cacio e Pepe carried the dish: sharp, savory, and absolutely sublime. I couldn't pin down the pasta shape — penne, or something close — but it hardly mattered. Each bite was balanced, deeply flavorful, and worth savoring. For me, this easily places in the top three Italian restaurants I've experienced.

I restrained myself a little — half the burrata, a careful share of bread — mindful of the half marathon ahead the next morning. That race went spectacularly; I placed in the top 10. Pasta Louise played no small role in fueling that performance.

Verdict: Pasta Louise is a gem of Brooklyn dining. Cozy atmosphere, excellent service, and pasta that borders on transcendent. I'll absolutely return when I'm back in New York, and I recommend it without hesitation to anyone in search of genuinely excellent Italian fare.

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I recently had the pleasure of ordering take-out from Pasta Louise Restaurant, and I must say it was a delightful experience. One of the first things that stood out to me was the short wait time for my order. Despite the high demand, the staff at Pasta Louise managed to prepare my meal quickly, ensuring that I didn't have to wait long.

What truly sets Pasta Louise apart is their commitment to making everything fresh. From the moment I opened the take-out container, I could tell that the spaghetti and meatballs were made with love and care. The aroma alone was enough to make my mouth water. The spaghetti was perfectly cooked, al dente, and the meatballs were tender and flavorful. It truly felt like a homemade meal, made with the freshest ingredients.

The wait for my order was absolutely worth it. The taste and quality of the food surpassed my expectations. Each bite was a burst of flavors that reminded me of my own sauce! The sauce was rich and savory, complementing the perfectly seasoned meatballs. It was evident that Pasta Louise takes great pride in their culinary creations.

The customer service at Pasta Louise was also commendable. The staff was friendly, accommodating, and took the time to ensure that my order was correct and that I had everything I needed. Their dedication to customer satisfaction was evident throughout my experience.

I highly recommend Pasta Louise Restaurant for anyone craving delicious spaghetti and meatballs. The short wait for take-out is well worth it, as they make everything fresh. The flavors and quality of the food are outstanding, reminding me of homemade Italian meals. Whether you're dining in or ordering take-out, Pasta Louise is a culinary gem that should...