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What’s a James Beard Award winner doing opening a fast casual restaurant? You can bet he's doing it well. A handful of fast casual pasta concepts have debuted in recent years, but none of them are backed up by the cooking chops of St. Louis chef and restaurateur Gerard Craft, whose restaurant group was named one of Restaurant Hospitality's Coolest Multi-Concept Restaurant Companies last year. Take a look at his Porano Pasta in downtown St. Louis.
The two-story Porano Pasta opened in downtown St. Louis’s Mercantile Exchange in late January.
Craft, a 2015 James Beard Award winner (Best Chef: Midwest for his ultra-cool Pastaria restaurant), is showcasing what he’s calling “honest food” at Porano Pasta. The self-taught Craft opened his first restaurant, Niche (St. Louis), in 2005. Craft's new American cuisine earned him a Best New Chef nod from Food & Wine. Since then, his Niche Food Group has grown into an influential multi-concept company with the addition of three other restaurants—Brasserie by Niche, Taste by Niche, Pastaria—and now, Porano (named for and inspired by Craft’s favorite town in the Umbria region of Italy).
The build-your-own pasta experience is simple and familiar (think Chipotle) for the guest. The average price point for a pasta bowl is less than $10.
Customers start by choosing a base: hearty organic semolina pasta (in sturdy varieties such as strozzapreti, which hold well in the orange cookery shown here), gluten-free pasta, organic farro, Italian rice or a romaine and kale mix.
Guests can add an antibiotic-free protein (slow-roasted pork, beef meatballs, marinated grilled chicken, or spicy tofu) for $7 to $8, as well as seasonal vegetables (such as squash or brussels sprouts). Shown here: slow-roasted pork over strozzapreti with pecorino cheese.
Craft’s house-made sauces are next along the line and include varieties like traditional pomodoro or “Smoky Sunday Sugo.” Shown here: strozzapreti with pomodoro sauce, slow-roasted pork, grana padano, herbs and pistachios.
Finally, customers can opt for toppings ($.50 each) such as crispy garlic, fresh herbs, peppadew peppers and grana padano cheese. Craft says, "When we say honest food, we mean dishes that still focus on ingredients and the quality of the dining experience, even in a fast-paced environment. We feel good about calling Porano ‘fast food’ because we hope that it continues to change the perceptions and standards of the industry.” Shown here: farro, chicken, pumpkin seed and lime pesto, brussels sprouts, herbs and grana padano.
St. Louis design firm Atomic Dust developed the branding elements and two murals for Porano Pasta, and local designer Sasha Malinich created the interior. This mural depicts an architectural map of Porano, Italy, which inspired the concept. "Although I've been fortunate to travel to Italy several times, my perspective of true Italian hospitality changed forever after [Porano]....The second that you sit down for a meal, you are part of the community. Just like that, you’re laughing and joking with complete strangers...I’d never experienced that kind of warmth outside my own home—a place where everyone feels equal around a table.”
Natural meets industrial in this 3,200 sq. ft. urban space with a combination of concrete floors, elegant white tile walls, reclaimed wood accents and large hand-cut Missouri oak communal tables constructed by a local woodworker. This mural depicts the St. Louis skyline.
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