Local retail shops and restaurants often feel the heat of the summer as the snowbirds have left for the season, fewer visitors are vacationing out here, and year-round residents often make plans to travel to cooler destinations during the triple-digit months.
But for those who stay, it’s business as usual in terms of working, paying the bills and keeping the kids active and involved in camps and summer activities. And, the last thing on most everyone’s mind is turning on the oven, stove or standing over the hot grill outside to cook dinner.
This summer, a slew of new local restaurants with varying cuisines have joined our line-up here in the growing North Valley and greater Anthem area―with flavors from Brazil to Vietnam and Italy, to name a few. And, better yet, many offer convenient takeaway and delivery options, making dinner plans a breeze.
Fresh, homemade build-your-own pasta dishes customized from the noodle style, to the sauce and protein in a fast, to-go setting is the concept of a new locally owned spot near Norterra.
Pasta Love, located near 19th Avenue and Happy Valley Road, was created by two families who partnered together to fill what they saw as a need for more made-from-scratch meals for take out and delivery made with quality ingredients, as an affordable alternative to fast food.
“We said let’s do good food and not break the bank,” co-owner Danny Quinn told Valley Vibe. Quinn and his wife, Samantha, live in Fireside at Norterra and own Pubblico Italian Eatery in Scottsdale. They met their now business partners, Bryan and Natalia Babits, during their Pubblico space acquisition on the commercial real estate end.
Homemade Pasta Made With Love
Local families open fresh comfort food to-go spot near Norterra.
Brainstorming for the new to-go restaurant footprint began during the pandemic when dine-in restaurants scrambled to shift to a take-out model to stay afloat during the uncertainty. The concept caters to the busy family demographic of our area, where take-out dinners picked up on the way home from evening sports practices happen often.
When the space formerly leased by Dirty Dough became available, the owners knew this would be the perfect spot for what they were looking to bring to the community.
To please the pickiest of eaters, the custom order concept is simple: 1) choose your pasta noodle, 2) choose your sauce and 3) Add an optional protein, if desired. Everything is handmade by an old-school Italian Chef, including the speciality items on the menu, which include chicken parmesan and rigatoni made with an Italian sausage ragu, ricotta and mozzarella cheeses as popular choices, along with ravioli, lasagna and clam linguini to name a few dishes. Pizza, salads, homemade deserts baked by Samantha include carrot cake, brownies and ice cream sandwich cookies made with Petersen’s old-fashioned ice cream. Tiramisu and crème brûlée are made by the chef.
When asked about the response from the community, Quinn said, “So far so good! People have been starving for good food up here… we really want to fill that gap for those not in the mood to cook and would like to skip the fast food drive-thru.”
Ordering is available online to make pickup or delivery even easier. Catering is also available.
If the concept is successful, Quinn said future plans include opening more Pasta Love locations around
the Valley.
Pasta Love
1730 W. Happy Valley Road, Suite 102, Phoenix
480-687-3757, www.pastalovetogo.com
Hours 11–8 p.m., Daily
By Karen Goveia
editor@valleyvibenews.com