After Los Angeles, New York was “a no-brainer” for the founders of Pasta Corner. The fresh pasta counter-restaurant, also present in Paris and Lille, will open its doors on Monday August 28 in the heart of Midtown on 53rd Street, between 5th and Madison Avenues, less than 300 meters from the MoMA. Singer-songwriter Matt Pokora and his lifelong accomplice in Los Angeles, Vincent Benoliel, have no doubts: their concept of “ casual food, in-and-out en 30 minutes », fits perfectly with the lifestyle of New Yorkers.
Fast and quality
“Americans are very good consumers, they have this culture of eating, specifies Matt Pokora, during an improvised interview on one of the tables on the terrace of Pasta Corner, a few days before the opening. And we, through our French culture, we have an education in taste – we are lucky enough to travel a lot too -, so we make sure to offer an original product. You don’t find fresh, fast and quality pasta everywhere at the same time. »
Matt Pokora and Vincent Benoliel have chosen to set up their Pasta Corner, right in Midtown, on 53rd Street between Madison and Fifth Avenues. ©French Morning/E. Guedel
We are indeed far from ordinary fast food. Everything is made on site, from the pasta (penne, tagliatelle, spaghetti, pappardelle, etc.) to the sauces that accompany them (pesto, bolognese, pink vodka, black truffle, etc.), cooked according to around fifteen recipes. “Everything is open, homemade and in front of people”, explains Vincent Benoliel, the duo’s Monsieur Cuisine, in the business for 20 years, at the head of a crêperie – also set up with Matt Pokora – and the Michelina bakery in Los Angeles.
A French love story for New York
Fresh pasta to take away or to enjoy on the dozen or so tables lined up along the brick wall of the boutique-restaurant, opposite the grocery store counter and the open kitchen. The order takes place on the iPads installed on the wall, “ we sit down and your dishes are brought to you. It’s paid, so no waiting “says Matt Pokora again. Prices range from $15 for a plate of penne pasta with tomato and parmesan sauce to $60 for spaghetti with caviar, with the average dish being between $20 and $30.
Pasta Corner’s open kitchen: fresh pasta dishes are made in front of customers. @FrenchMorning/E. Guedel
The inauguration of the new New York address was done in a small committee in mid-August: in family with the wife of Matt Pokora, the American singer and actress Christina Milian all smiles to celebrate the new adventure; between friends, Tony Parker, just inducted into the Massachusetts Basketball Hall of Fame, who came to congratulate his friends from LA; the owner of the premises, a businessman of Greek origin, former boss of the New York chain Burger Heaven, fell in love with the Pasta Corner project. “When we were looking for a place in New York, we wandered around for two days to find locations. We walked past this place by chance, we saw it “for rent” and we saw the potential number of customers, just on a block, “says Matt Pokora, looking up at the top floors of the buildings of the 53rd. “Two hours later, we visited the place and we fell in love with it,” laughs Vincent Benoliel.
A French love story for New York. “Fifth Ave, Madison Ave., MoMA… it was really our childhood dream when we came to New York,” smiles Matt Pokora, visibly happy to carry out this new project, the photos of which he shared with his 3.5 million followers on Instagram. He’s heading back to Los Angeles before resuming his “Epicenter Tour” anniversary tour next month. Vincent Benoliel remains in Manhattan where he has just moved after twenty years in California. A move to better take care of the development of Pasta Corner because, he promises, others should see the light of day ” quickly ” At New York.
2023-08-21 15:53:24
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