Gemma Foods

A West Town Pasta Maker Launches Lunch Service | Eater Chicago

"At 1117 W. Grand Avenue in West Town, I've watched Gemma Foods—run by Tony Quartaro—grow from selling fresh take-home pasta to launching a full ready-to-eat lunch service (lunch debuts Wednesday, April 17). For two years they sold fresh pasta for customers to boil at home; now they're offering rotating pasta specials, focaccia, and entree salads like a kale Caesar as a prelude to eventual dinner service, with seasonality central to the menu. Quartaro already has ramp-forward dishes lined up — carrot gnocchi with ramp, lemon, and mascarpone and radiatori alla ramp carbonara — plus meatballs he says he “thinks deeply” about and a Sunday pork neck ragu. Expect lasagna in both a meaty red-sauce version and vegetarian variations (mushroom ragu or a lighter layered eggplant), vodka sauce made with pride, and classics such as cacio e pepe, canestrini, and paccheri; most pasta is hand-cut, though a few shapes are extruded. Gemma opened in March 2022, did stints at Revival Food Hall and Time Out Market Chicago to grow the brand, and is part of a local pasta-revolution push that included Tortello and Flour Power; Quartaro's résumé includes Balena, the Bristol, Formento’s, and A16. Located across from D’Amato’s Bakery and Bari Foods on Grand, the owners hope the pandemic-driven appetite for carbs and the work-from-home crowd will help sustain their counter of ready meals." - Ashok Selvam