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photo credit: Jakob Layman
Pasta Sisters
Included In
Pasta Sisters, a tiny storefront in a Pico-Arlington strip mall, has food so good you won’t mind eating it from a take-out container in your car. And if that sounds like it’s not worth your trouble (you are no longer a teenager scarfing down a burger before your shift at the movie theater), know that Pasta Sisters is one of those LA eating experiences you shouldn’t miss out on. Even if they are so slammed you do end up eating it in your car.
Taking up a space that makes your 400-square-foot studio feel roomy, this isn’t the place to come for a leisurely dinner. For starters, there are all of three small tables pushed up against the walls, plus five or six counter seats, and zero bottles of chianti in sight. You are likely to encounter both a line, and a lot of people hovering while waiting for a place to sit - they get so busy that you might be forced to get your order to-go simply because there’s no room. That said, we wouldn’t recommend trying to game the system with a pick-up and take home situation, if only because the pasta won’t really survive the journey.
Pasta Sisters is more of a pop in for lunch kind of place, where you’ll be given a death stare from a waiting customer across the room if they’ve decided you’re eating your pesto tagliatelle too slowly. But then you realize you have one of the top ten pastas in Los Angeles in front of you, and start putting fork to mouth even more slowly.
photo credit: Jakob Layman
Ordering here is a build-your-own bowl situation, but with less choice (and more imported-from-Italy ingredients) than your local poke joint. Choose your type of noodle - pappardelle, tagliatelle, spaghetti, penne, or gnocchi - and a sauce to go with it. There are some entrees, salads, and paninis as well, but most everyone is here for the pasta. It’s perfectly made, super simple, and, for a short time, will make you feel like you’re on that Italian vacation your colleague has tortured you with on social media all summer. Or at least nowhere near a strip mall in Pico-Arlington.
Food Rundown
photo credit: Jakob Layman
Pappardelle Bolognese
photo credit: Jakob Layman
Tagliatelle Pesto
photo credit: Jakob Layman
Porcini Mushroom Gnocchi
photo credit: Jakob Layman
Meat Lasagna
Spaghetti Bottarga
Prosciutto Panino
photo credit: Jakob Layman