Photo courtesy of Egg & Flour Pasta Bar
E- Exciting F- Fun and Casual F- Flavorful I- Italian Tradition in each bite N- Neighborhood gem for funky Bay View G- Gigantesco (giant mounds of pasta)
It just great effing pasta! Egg & Flour’s second location in the heart of Bay View (the first is at the Crossroads Collective food hall) has gone the extra mile to open its doors.
The highly anticipated restaurant is now open for dine in and carry out with a hospitable, clean and safe environment. The restaurant is only operating on 33% capacity at this time, so keep those to go orders coming. They are giving the same attention safety guidelines as they are to their pasta. The vinyl sheeting between the “open kitchen“ where you place your order and—going a step further—vinyl partitions in between tables for dining doesn’t temper the friendly, casual atmosphere. A couple of outdoor patio seats wait for those more comfortable dining outside and there is as much hand sanitizer for guests as there is grated parmigiana.
All of the pasta is homemade, as well as the sauces and il condimento. The pasta has so much integrity and tradition that you get a sense that every Italian nonna is in the kitchen whispering in the ear of chef/owner Adam Pawlak. You can feel it with every toothsome al dente bite that is just the right thickness, firm but no chalky and cooked perfectly.
Adam’s heritage along with his heart and soul are evident in the dishes he creates with …well, eggs and flour. Classic pasta dishes of Campanelle (meaning little bells) with pesto, choice of basil or walnut ($10) are coated beautifully and the pesto clings to the ruffled edges of the pasta. Wide strands of Pappardelle with meat sauce are hearty and rich ($14). If you want to blast back to your childhood and shell shaped pasta is what you crave, try a mac and cheese with a rich Egg & Flour cheese sauce, loads of bacon and topped with breadcrumbs ($12) or a rich butter and parmesan laced with a truffle oil ($11). It will be as nostalgic as it is delicious. Bucatini is like a thick spaghetti and is on the menu several ways; dressed with tomato sauce, a creamy pesto with pistachio or cream, cheese and black pepper ($11-$15). Rigatoni, angel hair and even zucchini noodle substitute for gluten free is also on the menu.
The three salad options all come in half or full orders ($5-$11). The burrata caprese was nice with the pesto and the crunch of pistachios, but I was a disappointed that in tomato season these were a little hard and didn’t carry much flavor. However, the rest of the dish was packed with amazing balance and flavors.
Extras of fresh bread from Black Shoe Hospitality is perfection for “fare la scarpetta,” an idiomatic expression meaning “to make a little shoe” perfect for sopping up every last bit of sauce. If dipping isn’t your thing, get it with spread or burrata. ($3-$8). You can add meatballs or chicken to any dish as a bonus for a minimal charge.
Make sure you check out Egg & Flour’s face book posts to get the specials—and get there when they run the stuffed pasta specials! Ravioli and tortellini make their way on the menu and are little pillows of heaven. The “GiGi” ($10), Monday’s special, is a 1-pound meatball sandwich that is so good draped in tomato sauce, parmesan cheese and fresh basil. My favorite special thus far is on Friday. The lobster pasta will have you ditching your favorite fish fry to dive into a big bowl of creamy lobster pasta ($17).
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