Italian Pasta Palace Arrives in the East Village | Eater San Diego

"I found Monzu Fresh Pasta, which launches today in the East Village, is run by Italian owners Aldo de Dominicis Rotondi and Serena Romano, proponents of the Slow Food movement who trained with master pasta makers; their fresh pasta variations, including linguine, tagliatelle, ravioli, and agnolotti, are made using certified organic flour and eggs from local pasture-raised hens. The housemade pasta appears in a menu of daily and weekly-rotating specials that highlight regional Italian dishes: the opening lineup includes classic meat lasagna, pici with vegan pesto, and spaghetti with cherry tomatoes, basil, and cheese, and the shop will offer pasta flights of three items from the day’s menu for the indecisive. Pasta even features in dessert, with citrus-zest and ricotta-stuffed ravioli in a rum cream and pasta “cupcakes” filled with chocolate cream. Open Tuesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., the 1,000-square-foot eatery also includes a retail section stocked with fresh pasta for home cooking and specialty grocery items such as extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and tomato sauce alongside locally-made products, and it plans to offer wholesale pasta to area restaurants and food service businesses. A grand opening is scheduled for Saturday, June 2, when from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. the restaurant will offer complimentary tastes of select pasta creations, including fried savory ravioli and chocolate-filled ravioli while supplies last, plus twenty percent off purchases in its retail shop; during its soft opening phase the eatery will be cash only." - Candice Woo