Andrew P.
Yelp
I was lucky enough to have my ear to the ground and hear about the soft opening of this place in Tysons Galleria II. I honestly do not find myself in Virginia these days, so I was lucky that this was literally in the same location that I had last visited, so I was at least someone familiar. It would have been better if I knew exactly where it was in the mall, but I managed to find it within 10 minutes. I didn't even know there was an Andy's Pizza in the mall, and it's right next to it. How lucky!
When you first enter Scolapasta, there's a lounge area and the sign is right there telling you you're in the right place. Now, I couldn't tell you whether that Lounge was already there or if the owners added it, but it's nice. The restaurant itself is pretty open and has a fast casual vibe. There's a long counter -- on one end, the pastas are on display and you order, and you pick up on the other end.
You have the option of either ordering from chef's picks or building your own -- pick a pasta, sauce, and protein(s). Not sure if that was just for the soft opening, but some of the choices are exclusive to chef's picks, like shrimp and squid ink spaghetti.
Ordering was easy, and the wait time... Whew, it took a while haha. I wasn't in a rush, and I know soft openings are for working out the kinks. But when I tell you... That pasta came out in a nice to-go package and was piping hot... WOW. I got radiatori with spicy tomato sauce and chicken. The very first bite seemed saltier than I normally like, but after that it balanced out. I loved the kick of the sauce, and the chicken was seasoned and textured well. Don't be fooled by the size of the package. It's a lot more than what it looks like, and it's delicious and filling.
Tyson's is a hike, but the concept is awesome, a nice vibe, and there are countless combinations to explore. Bits of feedback:
-Get a megaphone or a display for orders, so people don't have to crowd around the counter to hear numbers and know the wait time.
-It was really cold right near the door -- not sure if you're in control of that, but as winter really settles in you might have to crank up that heat.