Chef Gerard Craft Readies Pastaria For August Opening

Four-time James Beard: Best Chef Midwest nominee Chef Gerard Craft readies his fourth restaurant, Pastaria (7734 Forsyth Blvd, Clayton, MO 63105), for a late August opening. Inspired by the pasta factories and lively osterias in Italy, Pastaria provides an approachable look at Chef Craft's experiences in Italy.

In contrast to his cuisine at St. Louis fine-dining mecca Niche, Chef Craft explains his move to a more casual experience, "Pastaria is meant to be relatable. It's honest-a place where families can enjoy an amazing meal together. To get there, the restaurant has required us to use both sides of our brain. We took a step back from the progressive thinking of Niche to focus on the simplicity of regional Italian cuisine."

A menu that respects Italian traditions while maintaining Chef Craft's dedication to local ingredients required a return to Italy for a 10-day tasting trip this spring, which included stops in Naples, Rome, Abruzzo, Emilia-Romagna, Marque, Lombardy, Umbria, Tuscany and Lazio.

"I've traveled to Italy several times, but this time, we went to capture the culture and the spirit of Italy. We stayed in the homes of many of the producers we will be working with at Pastaria and met their families, like Andrea Bezzecchi who runs the most amazing vinegar house in Reggio Emilia. He introduced us to local chefs and shop owners and shared his pride for the food produced in his region," says Chef Craft.

Chef Craft hopes to honor the stories of friends in Italy though his dedication at Pastaria. For example, after tasting over fifty renowned pizza recipes across Italy and the United States, Chef Craft has spent the past year and a half developing a pizza dough recipe with a Midwest hard winter wheat, a regional modification from the traditional 00 flour. The wood oven produces a chewy, bubbly crust for the perfect balance of texture and flavor for pizzas like the Housemade Finnochiona Fennel Salami with tomato and mozzarella and the Brussels Sprouts with mozzarella, b�chamel, lardo and lemon ($12.95).

The distinctive dining experiences from the trip resonate throughout the Pastaria menu from the Salt Cod Braised in Olive Oil with potatoes, parsley, olives and lemon ($18.95), the traditional stoccafisso dish that Chef Craft calls "almost life-changing" from Ancona in Marche to the simplicity of Ricotta Tortelloni with Artichokes, parmesan, parsley and lemon ($15.95) at Trattoria del Conte outside Orvieto.

The front of the restaurant will showcase hand-rolled pastas like the pappardelle and ravioli as well as guitar string spaghetti and campanelle from a pasta extruder. A retail space will feature a selection of Pastaria's fresh pastas, local cheeses, sauces, take-home meals and imported olive oils and vinegars from their friends in Italy.

Other menu highlights will include starters such as the Carne Cruda with olive oil, salt, preserved lemon and arugula ($10.95) and Crispy Risotto Balls with mozzarella, prosciutto, parmesan and aioli ($8.95). Many entrees will utilize the wood oven like the Oven Roasted Beef Meatballs with dates, tomato, polenta and parmesan ($13.95) and Wood Oven Roasted Chicken with seasonal bread salad ($17.95). A selection of sides and desserts will be offered as well like Grandma Rodolico's Tiramisu, a recipe from the grandmother of friend Lynn Rodolico, the famous author of Two Seas, a book about Sicily.

Chef Craft will focus on utilizing the best products available both at home and abroad. He will be working with local farmers and will import items from discoveries on his tasting trip. "We'll have pastas from Rustichella in Abruzzo, which makes amazing gluten-free pasta and bucatini that we just couldn't recreate. We'll also use and sell And