It’s the kind of food you read about in first class magazines. No literally, I read about it while “Flying the Friendly Skies” in seat 2F on my way to Cancun. I found it amusing that a Saint Louis restaurant I had never heard of was receiving international acclaim. Reading further into the article, I found out it was a Gerard Craft project and I noted it in my iPhone, promising myself to inquire further.

It came up again when my girlfriend suggested the usual slew of restaurants for our weekly dinner. I refused, but kindly offered a different option. I told her I was taking her to a special restaurant that night (admittedly one I knew little about.)

I pulled into the private garage, right off of Forsyth in Clayton. Easy to find, easy to park, off to a great start. We walked in, welcomed by a warm, brilliant atmosphere. Pastaria greeted us with a friendly server that gave us the choice of being seated at a table, the bar, or the wonderful kitchen bar with a birds eye view of the cooking going on.

We chose a table, feeling quite cozy with our neighbors on both sides. It was very noisy, and we unfortunately had a loud couple next to us. Their conversation carried into ours at times, and it left us wishing for a smidgen more room to breathe.

Nonetheless, a young fellow brought us two menus and two mason jars. Mason jars, for what? Just part of their “unique dining experience,” was serving drinks out of Mason jars. I ordered a ginger ale to quickly fill the jar, and I enjoyed drinking from it throughout my experience.

To start, we had phenomenal Risotto balls. They were the right amount of crunchy, cheesy, and rich and were served with our choice of two kinds of sauces. These were devoured instantly, and made us excited to try what was to come.

Feeling a burst of rebellion inspired by our Mason jars, we ordered Pistachio Ravioli. Yes, you read that right. Two things on totally different planets, combined to make one of the best dishes I’ve ever eaten. It melted in my mouth, and had me wanting to throw all my values in the trash and order a second portion. The lemon butter was there but not too heavy, an essence of mint topped the pasta off. Food heaven, if I had ever seen it.

Not wanting to leave Pastaria just yet, we gave in and ordered their Gelato. Salted caramel was my pick of the evening, with the girlfriend opting for Dark Chocolate. Mine was just the right amount of sweet, while keeping the thick, richness of caramel.

While Pastaria is definitely not a restaurant you would go to if looking for a romantic evening, for a student on a date or just looking for great eats in Saint Louis, Pastaria will not disappoint.

Food 9.5/10

Service 9/10

Atmosphere 8.5/10