Pasta Pasta started its journey in the small, cramped space at a remote location at St. Joe's Plaza, right next to the old movie theater just a couple of years ago.
It became a town's favorite very fast.
Chef Andy would come out of his kitchen, and greet folks; have a few minutes of chat, and dip back into the amazingly small (and hot) kitchen.
With 7 to 8 tables of maximum capacity, it was an intimate dining experience, a feel-good kind of place, and the picture-perfect representation of a small, family owned, Italian Restaurant.
They had interesting, delicious dishes such as:
SaltimboccaThey had good wine, too. Both from California and Italian wine...
Sauteed with prosciutto, fresh sage, white wine and butter. a classic preparation of a roman favorite which literally means to "jump in your mouth"
Penne Sicilian
Portobello mushrooms sauteed with onions, roma tomatoes, eggplant and fresh basil then topped with mozzarella and romano cheeses and baked golden brown
Penne Alla Norma
Fresh eggplant sauteed with onions, roma tomatoes and fresh basil then tossed with fresh mozzarella, romano and ricotta cheeses "legend has it that this recipe was created as a tribute to the opera Norma composed by vincenzo bellini, who was from sicily, where this dish originated."
The restaurant was doing exceedingly well, and week after week tables filled every night. Because of the remarkable success, and because Chef Andy was unhappy with the limitations of his small kitchen, what felt like very short time after they have opened their original location, the owners decided to move to a brand new location, this time on Cypress Point Parkway, and in the same complex as the Bealls, Radio Shack and Winn Dixie; but on the wing facing the Cypress Point Parkway and the City Walk.
They made sure the new location was decorated and painted almost exactly like the smaller location, as customers seemed to have enjoyed the ambiance of the original location. At the new location, the dining room space was doubled, and the kitchen was perhaps tripled. Everything was now perfect, just as Chef Andy wanted...
Fast forward to today...
Pasta Pasta is closed. There is a notice on the door which says:
Unfortunately over the last 6 months, business has steadily declined to a point where the sales cannot sustain our costs, and we are forced to close as of July 6, 2010.What went wrong for Pasta Pasta?
