Pasta Night — Restaurant in New York

This place was such a huge let down I almost got whiplash. I absolutely love Ciao Gloria, so much so that I go multiple times a week and consider myself a regular. So I was very excited to try this spot and figured this would meet the same standard given it’s the same folks, but unfortunately not even close. First off, you pay table service prices for what is effectively counter service. We spent 130 bucks including tip between two mains, one app and two drinks at a cashier before we even sat down. The vibe feels confused - I wish they would have just decided on either fast casual or fine dining and just leaned into it and not have tried to do both. Beyond that, we were 3 people and got squeezed into a small 2 top with a stool. And sadly, the food was aggressively mediocre. My chicken Milanese was slightly undercooked and the pasta noodles tasted packed with flour. I’d expect restaurant quality pasta to “melt in your mouth” for a truly good place. A few of which in Red Hook and Carroll Gardens really deliver on. Cent’Anni on Franklin isn’t even a “wow” option but does pasta way better. Lastly, the atmosphere is almost clinical. The lights were super bright and with conversation volume it almost felt like a small cafeteria. We ended up heading to Weather Up for an atmosphere palette cleanser. I’m giving two stars because the food was fine and staff was fine, but not much more than that. I’m hoping we just came on an off day and ordered the wrong dishes.

Unfortunately, this place is a sad reminder that the golden age of Prospect Heights’ food scene is continuing to come to a close. If you’re dead set on Italian, grab some pizza from La Flor. I really hope management takes note and makes some adjustments. Otherwise, other nearby neighborhoods are delivering much better dining these days.

Update Nov 2024 - And if you don’t agree with me, the 9 people that liked this post, the other bad reviews that complain about effectively the same things, or the many local friends I’ve sanity checked myself with who have agreed, I encourage everyone to read the restaurants reply to this simply as an example in decorum and maturity they bring to a disappointed customer with criticism. Unprofessional and sad. I guess that’s the price I pay for...

Pasta Night is comfort food for frazzled families. My husband and I tried this place for a date night and overall, we really liked the food. We started with their arancini balls with creamed spinach, which their vegetable of the day, and they were tasty. My husband got the chicken Milanese, and I got the Gemelli pasta with pesto. Both were really good, with the pasta and pesto tasting fresh and the Milanese was crispy and generously-portioned. And their Vecchio Carlo cocktail was complex and well-balanced. My husband ordered a glass of rosé that was very acidic, so he sent it back for a glass of Sauvignon Blanc.

We had a 6:15pm reservation and we were led to the covered outdoor area, which wasn’t noted on my Resy reservation. We were also informed that the restaurant needed the table back in two hours , but by then, the restaurant had started to empty out. The area was heated, but we were sitting by a door and there was a draft. We also asked our server for water, and she directed us to self-fill at the water tank, but then we saw our server give waters to two other parties of two behind us. It just rubbed us the wrong way. And there were three different boisterous families seated around us, making it hard to hear our own conversation. I understand that this place fosters a casual atmosphere, but I think some guests and servers felt a little too comfortable here, and we know to not come back for date night and just to order take out or...

Just when you thought the food options in Prospect Heights couldn’t get better, enter: Pasta Night. Considering Pasta Night is brought to you by the minds and stomachs that gave us Ciao, Gloria, it’s no surprise everything about this fast-casual spot is so well-rounded. As someone who is already a regular, I have some authority to say that everything at Pasta Night so thought out: from the menu variety, to the fun and friendly staff, the ambiance/music down to the chairs and cutlery. The first time i walked in, I immediately felt such warmth from the staff; the staff was beyond friendly and fun (and the owner often walks around to say hi or to chat like an old friend). The staff is perfectly paired with the funky, curated playlist playing throughout the night. Beyond the various cohesive components of the restaurants, the actual food was delicious and served in mighty portions (i.e., you get your money’s worth). The dishes are classic Italian cuisine, reimagined, but not unrecognizable—think: comfort Italian with a dollop of edge. You can’t go wrong with anything, but my unsolicited recs are the carbonara, meatballs, and the pesto, then the tiramisu to close it out. Run—don’t walk—to...