Gigi's Pasta

D.C. Gets the Build-Your-Own Pasta Pad of Its Dreams | Eater DC

"A bright new beacon for Italian cuisine gives D.C. quick pasta fixes from a walk-up counter in the center of Western Market, specializing in sizable bowls—“buckets,” really—of fresh pasta in all sorts of shapes and flavor combos. In its first week a steady stream of carb-craving locals, from George Washington University students to off-the-clock World Bank suits, lined up; opening day hit around 300 orders by dinnertime, prompting the owners to buy a second noodle-making machine. The “fine casual” setup runs daily from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., with circular yellow-and-white striped containers holding pick-your-own pasta (radiatori, spaghetti, rigatoni, gigli), proteins (meatballs, fennel sausage, herb-marinated chicken), and sauces (marinara, basil pesto, arrabbiata) starting at $12 and up, plus free focaccia with every order. Every ingredient is sourced directly from Italy, and every strand is rolled fresh daily on a ceramic table made in Vietri sul Mare; an on-display pasta machine and a whimsically encased star attraction behind glass keep the process in view. The cheery space—draped in lemon groves, fringed lampshades, floral patterns, vintage tiles, and pops of Mediterranean blue—channels a sunny Amalfi Coast afternoon, with five side bar stools and 40 seats. Beyond the build-your-own bowls, a baked-and-ready lasagna with beef ragu and cheesy bechamel and made-to-order spaghetti round out the lineup, while imported glass bottles of bright-orange Aperol spritzes and nonalcoholic Crodino are rare D.C. sips." - Tierney Plumb