I must preface this post with a caveat and some background. This is meant to be equal parts straight dope review and tongue-in-cheek shit post. Relax, thanks for reading, and let me have it with your thoughts and informed opinions.
In a previous post, many people suggested that Il Pastaio is hands down, the best Italian restaurant in Boulder. Having lived here for many years without giving it a serious go, I decided (at the urging of several Redditors) to give it a try again in earnest, and have sampled a variety of dishes and sides. Certainly enough for an informed opinion.
Most importantly, I want to highlight the people and service at Il Pastaio. Everyone is kind and attentive. I will eat there again…and I mean nothing personally against the good folks there when I say, unequivocally that Team Il Pastaio in the prior post is utterly clueless when it comes to judging food! IP and Morso aren’t even in the same league, regardless of whether you want to split hairs about Italian vs. NY Italian American. One of these places is objectively better than the other.
IP Pros:
- the pasta is fresh and awesome (as it should be)
- the rolls (OMG)
IP Cons:
- almost everything else
- cramped space
To be fair, I have not tried all of their sauces, but I found the few I did try so far to be serviceable. Did not add or detract, which is fine. Also on the positive tip, ALL of the pastas have been on point. Fettuccine, spaghetti, and ravioli - my personal benchmark - all hit. For this reason alone, I’ll continue to patronize this lovely establishment.
On the downside, I found pretty much everything else to be lacking oomph and flavor. The chicken parm is pretty good, but nothing I’d call extraordinary. Average. The meatballs are a tasteless disappointment - DO NOT ORDER THESE. Mine were dry and bereft of any spice or flavor at all. I finished them because I wanted protein in my meal, but never again. The Three Bean salad has potential, but again, I was disappointed by the lack of flavor. I really wanted that one to be better than it was. It was ok to have the beans and onion shine through, but a little more than the natural taste of the beans and oil would help that one along a lot.
To end on a positive note, I’ll say that I’m a sucker for good bread and the rolls are among the best I’ve ever had. I like them so much that I consider them to be a free dessert I legit save them as the last thing I eat because they just make me feel good. So, so delicious.
BOTTOM LINE: I’ll eat here again occasionally for the pastas and bread, and the staff and service are great. Otherwise, Il Pastaio is a slightly above-average, serviceable Italian restaurant. If you think it’s better than Morso or Basta you’re nuts - remind me to never take food recs from you.
