pastabilities

ok?. (updated review) this was my first time back in quite a long while. there was a time where this was a regular lunch spot for us, but long lines (which are great for the restaurant, but difficult to allow us time to eat at lunch), smaller portions, and somewhat uneven food led to our reducing our visits until we stopped going altogether.

today, they were still operating their signature cafeteria-style lunch. they had unique varieties of salads...classic green salad (which i noticed has improved from romaine to an actual mixed salad), couscous with raisins, baba ghanoushj, and the omnipresent chicken penne. our group thought the food was fine, albeit a little low on flavor. the couscous lacked any spice or flavoring aside from a sporadic raisin/craisin. the baba ghanoush was in desperate need of some lemon juice, chopped herbs, or something (anything!) to brighten the underwhelming flavor. chicken penne was just "ok," as was apastaalfredo. the prices were very reasonable.

i was really take aback at how bland everything was. perhaps this explains why they have tabasco sauce in every room...it mildly helped. i guess the draw are the low prices and hipster vibe...i can take it or leave it, but might come back for a green salad.


-----03 jul, 2011-----

good downtown spot. pastabilities has very good, "fusion-ish" italian-style dinners. always an excellent meal in a casual, hip atmosphere. as others have mentioned, the hot tomato oil and bread for dipping is a definite signature item. (you can buy jars of the sauce across the street at their bakery, where they also make bread for their restaurant, as well as other restaurants in town).

lunches are cafeteria-style and extremely popular amongst downtown workers. however, they tend to be slow at opening time, and the line quickly goes out the door. the variety and quality of the lunch items has decreased quite a bit over the past couple years, although dinner remains excellent.

"go to" place for good bread and pasta. once you get past the 20-30min wait, the bread and spicey oil is what remindes you why you waited. soft italian bread with amazing dipping sauce. thepastachoices are also very good, and most can be made vegitarian . prices are not bad. overall an excellent restaurant for pasta, far better than your typical chain restaurants.

spicy tomato oil was to die for. but the most amazing part was thepastaand the people. children menu is very affordable too. had a very good time. will definitely return!

first time here and it was great! we were greeted as soon as we sat down and the waitress was right behind her. we immediately had our drinks and our appetizer was out shortly. we had the mozzaluna cheese sticks and they were hot and delicious! the restaurant it's self is not very big but it's a cute and neat atmosphere. we ordered somepastaof course which was delicious. our waitress hannah was great and kept our glasses full. they have an excellent choice of desserts so we ordered chocolate turtle cheesecake that was from cheesecake by alex and the kenny's key lime pie. both were amazing and we will definitely be back!!

bad experience. first of all the service was awful. our waitress was not attentive in regards to replacing our complimentary bread and at one point ours was only replaced by an attentive bus boy. i ordered the spinach ricotta entre. it came filled with so much cheese that it took over my whole entre. never did the entre in the menu state that there wasn't a style ofpastaincluded throughout the entre, when it was listed under thepastasection of the menu. the meal consisted of ricotta, mozzarella, sauce, and bits of spinach. i left sick to my stomach and i barely touched my meal. i would advise caution to those thinking of trying this restaurant, it's not what you think.

for dinner i ordered the sonoma caesar salad and the pasta's bolognese (beef and pork bolognese, pappardelle, parmigiano-reggiano). additionally, the bartender recommended i try the famous spicy hot tomato oil so he brought me a side of it and a bread basket.

while i highly recommend the spicy hot tomato oil (it was amazing), thepastawas good but i think i'm so spoiled by living a block away from ethan stowell's, tavolata, that i can't say it was to die for. but yeah, i'd order it again. but seriously, don't pass on the spicy hot tomato oil.

nasty. i am afraid tyhis is typical of a small town. the food bears no resemblance to italian food from europe. thepastais invariably thick and chewy with unimaginative sauces.
sorry, but there it is.

i have been to pastabilities on several occasions and each time i fall in love. the atmosphere of this outwardly ostentatious eatery is a warm mixture of wine lounge, bistro, and bar with a dash of fine art gallery. besides being able to customize any combination of pasta, protein, and cheese/veggie; pastabilities offers a large selection of wine and desserts as well as a large selection (including vegetarian options) of classicpastadishes with a twist. my favorite (and go to dish) would have to be the chicken on the green, a spinach fettuccine with grilled chicken, sun dried tomatoes, and a pesto cream sauce. as far as price point, this is a can’t be beat option for anyone who wants to eat well for under fifteen dollars a plate. pastabilites definitely is a must visit location for anyone who loves starchy, creamy, pasta-goodness. oh and did i mention they deliver? stop reading and go eat, chris.   http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/156/945085/restaurant/piedmont-triad/pastabilities-greensb

create your ownpastadish has a ton of options and comes with hefty portions. it's a small but trendy restaurant that's good for dates or hanging out drinking wine.

place was jam-packed - we waited two hours for a table, but it was worth every minute of the wait. service was excellent for how crowded it was. the atmosphere complemented the meal very well - good music, lighting, etc. now for the food - oh my the food. the highlight of thepastadishes was the sauce - i tried the vodka cream and pesto - both tasted hand crafted with the freshest ingredients. salads and desserts were superior as well. hopefully this place is a sign of the future dining trends in syracuse.

1st visit and i will be back!. i have been wanting to try pastabilities for awhile. the location could not be any more perfect for me. my boyfriend and i had a wonderful dinner tonight! he got a steak sandwhich and i got a build my ownpastadish we shared a bottle of wine all for under $35! you really can not beat that. our server was excellent came by at all the right moments but never annoyed us. i enjoyed the atmosphere. the food was really good as well, the portions were just right not to big but not to small. i cant wait to go back again to try something else!

good service, tasty food. this is a nice little italian themed restuarant with tasty apps andpastadishes. i recall the service being very quality and enviroment being quite impressive. i would definitely go back.

imagine a good restaurant open on sunday!!. pastabilities is a genuine, charming, yet basic, version of a pre "olive garden" consistently goodpastajoint that is open on sun's. the name says it all --endless choices and always tasty. service excels as does the price. good for families, dates, singles, you get the picture! delicious!

homemadepastais wonderful. great service.pastasauces are so creative. the spicy tomato sauce is addictive. you wont regret it.

its a fun place. its dark, though. the prices arent worth it. the last 3 times ive been here, mypastahas been freezing. i think the freeze the fettucine. it was really disgusting. go to a different restaurant in armory square cause this one is disgusting.