Today’s Takeout: Take-and-Bake Birthday Cake Kit from Pastaria

Acclaimed St. Louis restaurateur Gerard Craft made big waves last month when he announced that he’d temporarily be closing nearly all of his restaurants in the Niche Food Group family, including Brasserie, Brasswell, Pastaria, Sardella and Taste.

After taking some time to evaluate the safest way to handle takeout operations, Pastaria has reopened in downtown Clayton, Missouri, with a limited menu available for curbside carryout. The to-go menu includes some favorites from the regular menu, including take-and-bake pizzas (Margherita, pepperoni and Nduja) and pasta kits (Bolognese, Pomodoro or gluten-free for an upcharge). Also on offer are two family-style lasagnas, including Bolognese and a vegetarian option with kale and mushroom ragu, ricotta and mozzarella. Each lasagna feeds between six and eight people.

The owners of Mission Taco Joint and Satchmo’s Bar & Grill worked together to get a temporary suspension of the law prohibiting those sales.

A few new offerings have recently been added to the mix, including a kit to make Pastaria’s beloved kale salad at home, as well as roasted Brussels sprouts, gelato pints and granola. Thanks to the recent emergency suspension, the restaurant is now allowed to sell batched cocktails to go, including a barrel-aged Negroni and Old Fashioned.

But if you need a pick-me-up – and frankly, who doesn’t right now? – opt for Pastaria’s take-and-bake birthday cake kit. Each kit includes cake batter, vanilla cake soak and buttercream frosting, plus the requisite birthday cake crumbles and sprinkles for a celebratory topping, even if you don’t have anything to celebrate.

The birthday cake kit feeds between eight to 10 people, making it perfect to share with the family or keep as a treat to snack on throughout the week.

Pastaria, 7734 Forsyth Blvd., Clayton, Missouri, 314.862.6603, pastariastl.com

https://www.feastmagazine.com/st-louis/article_1dc36a0e-84b8-11ea-9650-2fc1ecabc92d.html