It’s the noodle kid on the block!
A new Park Slope pasta shop will open its doors on Monday, offering an unpretentious dining experience for the family-heavy neighborhood, said the new owner of Pasta Louise on Eighth Avenue and Eighth Street.
“There’s a lot of good Italian around here, but it’s kind of dim, a little more upscale. I don’t exactly feel comfortable bringing my boys there,” said restaurateur Allison Arevalo. “It’s going to be really good food for grown-ups, and for kids.”
Pasta Louise, named in honor of Arevalo’s grandmother, will offer a full menu of various fresh “California-Italian” style pasta shapes with different sauces — such as roasted red peppers, and mushrooms with herbs. True to its kid-friendly form, the menu will also feature a number of after-dinner sweet treats, like soft serve ice cream and iced hot chocolate.
The eatery will open for a soft opening during its first two weeks of business, offering only takeout and delivery — before rolling out outdoor seating for their official grand opening.
Arevalo, a native New Yorker, previously operated a mac n’ cheese-only restaurant in Oakland, California for years, before selling it and moving back to Brooklyn.
“Mac n’ cheese, I don’t think was my true calling,” she said.
With Pasta Louise she hopes to channel the Italian cooking she grew up around in an Italian household.
“I get to be around the food that I truly love,” she said. “It’s a lot more of my family cooking.”
Arevalo says she envisions the pasta shop — in a storefront that used to house a pharmacy — serving as a hub for the neighborhood, where locals can feel comfortable bringing their youngsters, or stopping in after work for a casual meal.
“I want it to be a staple in the neighborhood,” she said.
To foster a community space, the restaurant already has several community-building initiatives planned, including a scholarship for kids who have lost parents to cancer, business mentorships for local youngsters, and pasta making classes.
“I’m really hoping that this spot becomes a place that really gives back to Brooklyn, and that people will be excited to be a part of,” Arevalo said.
Pasta Louise, 803 Eighth Avenue at 8th Street in Park Slope. www.pastalouise.com Soft opening July 27.
