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This Saturday, I lugged a bottle of wine and my boyfriend to Pasta Trio for a night on the town for no particular occasion other than to luxuriate in a delicious meal on a beautiful spring night. There is some amount of planning that must go on before the fun can begin: reservations are recommended for weekends, and don’t forget to pick up a bottle of good wine.


I showed up at Pasta Trio with an empty belly ready to be stuffed. We were seated in a prime location, next to the window and away from the door. Since the restaurant is located on Central Avenue in the Old City, people watching is most fun—punk kids on their way to and from Java, dressed-up couples on first dates, women perusing the antique stores, and the occasional freak doing lord knows what. Even the shop front across the street led to great conversation—who is this Big Don the Costumier and does he do good business in his huge freaky store that never seems to be open?

After cracking open the wine, the waitress pre-empted our starving hunger by bringing us an incredible loaf of Italian bread, swimming in butter and covered in parmesan cheese and garlic.

The bread was fresh from the oven, crusty on the outside, soft on the inside, and delicious. We couldn’t help but get seconds. Soon after, she returned bearing plates of surprisingly tasty salads. I like salads, but this salad was special. Delicate field greens and tomatoes coated in a bold, sweet balsamic vinaigrette were topped with a three-bean salad comprised of green beans, kidney beans, and garbanzo beans. I could make a meal of this.

One look at the menu, and I knew I’d be ordering the salmon pesto (two of my most favorite things!). I was not disappointed. The salmon filet was cooked medium, smothered with pesto and grated cheese, and sat upon a bed of creamy pesto spaghetti sprinkled with sweet sun dried tomatoes. The pasta was cooked perfectly, both firm and creamy, and the pesto sauce was cream-based and savory but not overpowering. The dish was very rich, but a spritz of lemon juice on the salmon provided balance. Knowing that I wanted to indulge in dessert, I wisely boxed half of my meal to go.

After ordering a cup of strong coffee to help me perk up after the rich foods, I was ready for dessert. I settled on the featured dessert of the evening, a pound cake with orange zest, strawberry compote, and cinnamon whipped cream. Wow! This dessert was incredible. Three slices of warm vaguely orangey pound cake were smothered with a generous helping of sweet strawberry compote and a couple scoops of thick cinnamon whipped cream. I couldn’t help but over-indulge in this sweet concoction.

Surprisingly, this decadent meal was not overly pricey. Our final bill tallied $50, which included two main entrees plus coffee and dessert. We brought our own wine, which made the evening more economical. We don’t typically spend this much money on dining out, but this was not a typical restaurant meal, this was an experience. It felt special. So the next time you feel like having a special evening, grab that special someone and head to Pasta Trio. Just don’t wear tight pants.