Sta Bene, Molto Bene at Pasta Bene!

By Emma Krasov, photography by Yuri Krasov
One good Italian restaurant, placed between Buffalo Exchange and non-descript storefronts, hardly makes Little Italy, but Italy none the less. Pasta Bene, open less than two months ago on Telegraph Avenue in Berkeley, serves house-made pizza and pasta made from scratch the way Italian mammas do – simply, unpretentiously, and with lots of amore.
Don’t be fooled by the modest counter service, you get the freshest and the most flavorful fare here for an amazing price, and all the kind attention from the staff you might need or want.

On the day we dined, our bruschetta came on a crispy toast topped with a mound of deliciously salty pungent diced tomatoes, flavored with basil, garlic and olive oil, and garnished with baby greens. Eggplant Parmigiana (my personal favorite) starred the lightest baked eggplant, softened in the oven, juicy and well-pronounced, not overwhelmed with breading as it happens so often in less thorough kitchens. Take it from someone who orders this dish in every Italian restaurant: Pasta Bene whips up the best Eggplant Parmigiana, adorned with thin fragrant sauce and a tender stretchy layer of cheese to absolute perfection.
Then we indulged in a plate of what looked like tricolore Italiano to me – red tomato and green cucumber slices, whole leaves of basil, and white feta cheese cubes, accompanied by olive oil-balsamic vinegar dressing and Kalamata olives. Homemade flatbread sprinkled with parsley was warm, sweet, chewy, and doughy – we just couldn’t get enough of it, although our main courses were still coming…
I’m rather picky with my pizza. Nothing but thin crust will ever do, and it’s gotta strike a balance between crispy and chewy. I also like to let the dough shine, therefore I don’t go heavy on the toppings. A pretty little Margarita with Roma tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, basil, and that amazing thin sauce came across as very satisfactory, indeed. My dining companion enjoyed his Carciofi e Pollo that our server recommended – homemade linguini, chicken breast, artichoke hearts and capers in another amazing sauce made of olive oil, red pepper, and herbs.
Strangely, all this dough served in generous portions, plus a great bottle of Charles Creek Pasatiempo Merlot 2005 from Sonoma Carneros, suggested by the restaurant owner, didn’t make us feel heavy, but rather happy.
So, happily we devoured a Tiramisu, soaked in cognac, Frangelico, and Bacardi, and topped with red wine/blueberry sauce and a fresh strawberry. In the background, Toto Cutugno was singing a nostalgic 1983 hit, L’italiano… Who would ask for anything more?
The restaurant is owned and operated by Farhad Jalali and Ladan Sanjani, the husband and wife team with great many years of excellent experience in the industry. While Ladan manages the San Francisco restaurant of the same name, 22 years in business now, Farhad is tending to his customers in Berkeley, making sure everybody feels welcome and eats well.
During our short conversation, I got to learn a little about the man behind the food. Born in Iran and educated in Europe, Farhad used to cook for a living in his student years. While studying mechanical engineering (and getting his Master’s and his Ph.D.) in Germany, he liked traveling to Italy, and, well… eating there! Combine an engineering mind and an appreciation for good food, and voila, you got a chef like no other. Farhad does all the shopping and menu planning himself, and also can speak four languages, quote Nietzsche or recommend wine to his guests with equal ease and grace. I’ll quote him on my subject of interest, though. “If you can do dough you can do anything,” Farhad said, referring to the many incarnations of dough served at Pasta Bene – from pizzas shoved into a 750-degree oven the moment the order is placed, to a dozen of kinds of pasta on the menu, to decadent desserts.
Since its acquisition, the restaurant underwent a complete remodeling, and now presents a spacious yet cozy place full of light, with dark wood tables and chairs, exposed beams, dramatic chandeliers, mirrored faux windows on side walls, and vintage posters. It has a great outdoor area in front, and seats about 65.
Draft and bottled beer and red and white wines are offered by the glass and bottle. The restaurant is open daily from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., with a happy hour from 3 to 7 p.m. Take out is available, but it’s so much nicer to just be here and enjoy your food!
Pasta Bene is located at 2565 Telegraph Avenue, close to the UC Berkeley campus. More info at: http://www.pastabenesf.com/ or call (510) 845-2363. No reservations required or accepted.