Jason V.
Yelp
I'm a fan of Grassa's fast-casual-fine dining setup; I didn't think I would be. Ordering from the counter and then grabbing your own table seems out of place in a restaurant that exudes such an "upscale" aesthetic, but it works; the flipside, of course, is that you lose any semblance of "service" outside of the ordering process, and the delivery of your meal. If you need another cocktail, you're on your own. Fine by me.
The last time we visited a Grassa location, my wife and I split a dish between us. Not today. We learned our lesson! We were both hungry enough for our own entrée, this time!
For today's lunch, my wife opted for the Fusilli Alla Vodka, which she paired with a glass of the Grassa White, and myself with a Jockey Full of Bourbon (whiskey, lime and ginger beer) and the rigatoni and pork ragu. Within 15 minutes our dishes arrived: the fusilli - handcrafted spiral noodles, tossed in a creamy vodka tomato sauce, tangy, delicious sausage, and crushed red pepper to give it just a hint of spice. Wonderful! The rigatoni was also excellent, with a rich, meaty sauce, tender cuts of pork, and some basil and cheese for good measure. We may have ordered our own dishes this time, but we both picked from each other's plates several times, sharing and relishing them both!
Cooking and serving quality Italian pasta dishes is a lot like learning a trade skill: there are levels of proficiency, from apprentice to grandmaster, with each step requiring years of training, practice, and intrinsic knowledge. The quality of the end product is a direct reflection of this proficiency. The pasta served at Grassa is undoubtedly fantastic, but suffers somewhat from being the child of what is essentially an high-end chain restaurant. It'll never reach the reverent station of an Italian nonna, slaving away at hand-rolling noodles with experienced, calloused, arthritic hands, while simultaneously stirring a pot of her legendary Bolognese...but it's not trying to be, either. It doesn't have to. In a world full of Olive Gardens and Spaghetti Factories, a fresh take and an honest effort is enough put them leagues ahead of the competition.