Update June 2022: My sister and I actually took my parents to Pasta Sisters to celebrate their anniversary and they loved it, and so did we! See below for the updated review which includes new pictures and review of newer items!
As you can tell by the LA posts, they are a lot focused on food and that was without a doubt an integral part of this trip! It was something that involved planning as there were certain spots and places I’ve been meaning to try if I was ever in Los Angeles, and Pasta Sisters was definitely one of them! As stated in the blog title, this is a vegetarian review, but also is a review of the establishment overall. See below to learn more about this place, why I really wanted to eat here, and if I would go again next time I’m in LA! Of course, make sure you follow the blog and on social media (Tiktok, Instagram, and Facebook) for more LA Content! For a preview of what you can expect, see below for my first and second time here!
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History & Location
As stated before I was planning and even made a list of numerous food places I wanted to visit, and Pasta Sisters was high on that list. The reason why is because of the web series, “Worth It” as it was featured twice. The first time at their original location (3343 W Pico Blvd – Mid City, LA) and the second time at their new location (3280 Helms Ave – Culver City, LA) which is significantly bigger as they needed another place to meet the demand they were getting after their first appearance on the show. It’s awesome to see because Pasta Sisters is a family restaurant which I believe was named after the fact that the head chef used to spend time with her siblings helping their mom in the kitchen which lead to spending more time teaching their own kids. Eventually, the kids continued the passion for cooking but shared with their meals with us! It was also on my list because it was known to be on the more affordable side, so the fact that they were still able to keep their family heritage and price point while scaling to a nice dine-in location, is exactly why I wanted to dine in here!
Price, Service, Set-Up
As mentioned earlier, the price is pretty fair. You can see the menu above (which is for take out and dine in), and it is not something I would say is marked up since for the serving size and quality, it is fair. In terms of pricing, I would place this more towards affordable.
The set-up is mainly for take out, maybe because of COVID and the original location, so keep in mind that when you are dining in, you do pay for everything before sitting down, including tip! You can still leave cash at the table, but it is best to tip before hand, especially because the service I had was great. Another important thing to note is that the water is cold, citrus infused, and self-serve. There are also a lot of take out options you can enjoy at home as you can see below. Update from June 2022: It is still pay before you eat and no reservations. Also, yes, I got the bag!
Taste
Update June 2022: As I went back to Culver City one of the things I’ve been meaning to try was there eggplant parmigiana (see above left). I remember messaging the nice staff via social media about it and they did advise to call in advance to confirm if they have it or not before it sells out as this is a seasonal item for the summer. Let me tell you, this is the best eggplant parmigiana I’ve ever had! It was so good with a great balance of sauce and cheese where it perfectly melts in your mouth. Another delicious item I had this time around was the porcini mushroom spaghetti which was covered in a creamy sauce that sat on top of a bit of hard texture spaghetti but still tasted really good especially with this sauce!
At Pasta Sisters, it was given that I had to try pasta of course so we ended up trying two different pastas (spaghetti and ravioli) with two different sauces, sorrentina as well as the spicy arrabbiata. In my opinion, the ravioli was really good, and what I would say was superior among the two. It was fresh (all of their pasta is freshly made in the morning), each piece of filling including the contents inside melts nicely in your mouth. One of the best Raviolis I had. In terms of the sauce, it is not too spicy but there is a little kick of spice that you will notice, however I do want to say that when I had it in June 2022 it felt a bit spicier than when I initially had it in November 2021. I am not too sure if the ravioli was a seasonal thing or not, but if you can get it, you should. With respect to the spaghetti, it was also fresh and tastes pretty good, but a little too simple for my liking. What made it really good was the cheese inside the sauce (I believe it was mozzarella and parmesan). It may have been the pasta or the sauce, nothing extraordinary but something you can rely on for a nice, comforting, meal. Also with respect to the sorrentina, it may have been a seasonal sauce.
Now arguably the best thing I ate at Pasta Sisters is something unique they are known for, the chocolate salame (above is November 2021 vs June 2022). It is phenomenal and 100% recommend! It is good on its own with the sweet flavour and solid texture while not being overwhelmingly sweet or chocolatey. Of course, it is not an actual salame but it does taste similar to what you expect when eating a crispy wafer or cookie. The whip cream is a great add on for aesthetics and taste.
The other items I ate was the complimentary bread that came with a side of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. The bread is nice on it’s own, however I recommend pairing it with the olive oil and of course, cleaning up the pasta sauce on your plate with it. Another Pasta Sisters item we ordered was the in-house lemonade which was not too sour yet still fresh, and pleasantly filled to the top. In June 2022, I ordered the cappuccino and it was okay but kind of reminded me more of a latte.
Overall & Recommendations
If you couldn’t tell by now, Pasta Sisters (especially at Culver City) is somewhere I will be dining in again next time I am in LA (and I did)! It is fairly affordable and great for take out, but dining in had a great warm environment. I would recommend the ravioli if you can get it (it might have been a special pasta at the time) but play around with the different sauces available. I am curious to try the other sauces that will be available next time I am there. If anyone from Pasta Sisters reads this I recommend you continue to provide quality meals at great prices with great service. However, if you can, please introduce an eggplant parmesan and veggie lasagna!
If you’ve been here or the original locations, please let me know your thoughts in the comments of this blog post or the related social media posts. I will appreciate it if you give a follow on Tiktok, Instagram, and Facebook as well as staying tuned to the blog for more content from this LA trip!
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