Luca Vinci and Victor-Alex "Coach Vic" Petrenko built Pasta Pooks by hand, with patience, and a little bit of chaos. What started in their Plateau apartment as a pandemic hustle—trading lasagnas for tattoos and running pop-ups in borrowed kitchens—has become a full-fledged operation. Now, after years of cooking in the city’s best restaurants and bringing their food to festivals, backyards, and late-night crowds, they have a place to call their own.

Their new counter in Little Italy keeps things straightforward: handmade pasta, sandwiches stacked on fresh-baked bread, and a tight selection of antipasti. Chef Kai Fox helps lead the kitchen, carrying forward the precision and energy that have always defined their work. There's a chalkboard menu and a ten-seat counter where plates land hot from the pass, and a side room for private dining and Italian cooking classes.