Writer / Matt Keating
Photographer / Ryan Woodall
Kent and Patsy McNall, co-owners of Pasto Italiano, 3150 East State Road 32, Westfield, have already had several repeat customers since they opened their doors in November.
“We have had some guests who have visited us five times between the day we opened through December,” Kent says. “We have really received an enthusiastic response and been thrilled with all of the positive feedback.”
Patsy believes the delicious food has been one of the main reasons people keep coming back.
“We make our own sauces and everything is made fresh,” Patsy says. “Our chef, Tim Brater, does an excellent job, and so has Deb Alexander, our general manager. Our guests have been very pleased.”
Kent noted that theIr delicious Spaghetti and Meatballs have been a big draw. Patsy’s hand-crafted meatballs and marinara sauce over spaghetti are outstanding.
“People love them,” Kent says. “They also enjoy our Gnocchi, a house made ricotta gnocchi in a truffle cream sauce with mushrooms and green beans.”
The Shrimp and Risotto, a grilled shrimp on a bed of sweet pea and Parmesan risotto with lemon butter, is also a big seller. Patsy says the Grilled Salmon Romesco, with sweet pea and Parmesan risotto, and spinach with house-made romesco, has also been popular as well.
“Our Manhattan Strip Steak has also been getting people to come back, too,” Patsy adds. “It’s delicious. Our guests also enjoy our Lasagna, Linguine Alfredo and Tuscan Vegetarian Pasta.”
Pasto Italiano also offers Antipasta dishes including Calamari, Bruschetta, and Clams, among other choices.
Kent and Patsy have turned their strong previous restaurant experience into a positive environment at Pasto Italiano.
“We both worked at a very successful restaurant in Fort Meyers, Florida, called CIBO,” Kent says, “It was voted as one of the top five restaurants out of 738 restaurants. They had a chef there, Sean Decker, who was extremely helpful to us in getting Pasto Italiano started. He helped us a lot with the menu.”
The McNalls are in the same spot that J.Razzo’s 2 previously occupied.
“The owner closed last September,” Kent says. “We went through two months of renovations to get everything ready.”
Pasto Italiano has an intimate setting, comfortable tables and an eight-seat bar. The elegant tables and environment are perfect for a relaxing and cozy dinner date.
“I think there is a strong need for a restaurant like this in the area,” Kent says. “Westfield is great. I think we are in a perfect location. We are so close to Noblesville and Carmel, so we expect to get a lot of business from there. We have already filled the bar area on Fridays.”
Patsy adds that it is a good idea to make reservations for a table.
“It really helps, especially for the weekend,” Patsy says. “We have open tables, but guests can call us during business hours or leave a message to make a reservation. We have popular specials of the day, such as a half-price bottle of wine on Wednesdays and pasta specials on Sundays where you can get two dinners for $25. We have the Spaghetti and Meatballs or the Spaghetti Bolognese, each with a house salad.”
The McNalls are looking forward to having outdoor dining in the warm weather months.
“We really have been so pleased with all of the great things everyone has had to say about the food and the new renovations,” Kent says. “We couldn’t be happier.”
Pasto Italiano is located at 3150 East State Road 32 in Westfield. Give them a call at 317-804-2051 or visit them online at pastoitalianowestfield.com for more information.
