Pasta Shop Ristorante at home in new location
Local restaurants have been hard hit by the recession, but longtime restaurateurs David and Glenn Alenik have made something good out of the bad.
After nearly 22 years in their location near Tropicana and Eastern avenues, the brothers, co-owners of Pasta Shop Ristorante and Art Gallery, found a new home at 2525 W. Horizon Ridge Parkway near Henderson’s Anthem community five months ago.
The move was necessary for the restaurant, David Alenik says.
"In the past few years, the neighborhood started to degenerate and we saw the writing on the wall," Alenik says.
Finding an available space near Anthem wasn’t hard, because many restaurants have closed recently. So far, the decision to move is proving to be a good one. Business is strong, Alenik says.
Other than the location, not much has changed about the Pasta Shop. They’re still serving fresh pasta made daily, and the decor still features the artwork of David’s wife, Annie Alenik.
The dining room is bigger, seating 45, about 10 more than the original location. They also added a few new items to the menu, including brown rice pastas for those with wheat allergies and whole wheat pasta. The new Live Forever salad has become a hot seller, too, David Alenik says.
The Pasta Shop has been a fixture in the southeast part of the valley since opening in 1989 as a combination wholesale/retail pasta shop and restaurant. The brothers both left the hotel industry to open their own restaurant after identifying a local market for fresh pasta. They began selling it in bulk to several local resorts, including Boyd, Harrah’s and MGM Resorts International properties. They still provide about 200 pounds of fresh pasta a day to local hotels, Alenik says.
The brothers also continue to offer diners something they may not have encountered before, such as a black squid ink pasta with saffron cream and shrimp ($24.95) or their version of an Italian-style pad Thai.
"We try to do unique things, offer wild, unique items," Alenik says. "We try to keep people jumping. I think that’s what makes going to a restaurant so fun."
The restaurant is open for lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 1: 30 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, and 5 to 9 p.m. daily for dinner. Reservations are recommended for dinner.
Specialties: Live Forever salad with organic mixed baby greens, brown rice, tomatoes and cashews, $12.95 for full, $7.95 half; trottolle pasta, pan seared in olive oil with tiger shrimp, fresh vegetables and oyster sauce, $27.95 (dinner only if seafood is available); cold poached artichoke with vinaigrette and shaved parmesan reggiano cheese, $12.95 (dinner only)
Appetizers: Black Prince Edward Island mussels, $12.95; tomato basil polenta, $7.95 (appetizers served during dinner only)
Pizzas: Pizza bianco with tomatoes, cheese, garlic, roasted nuts and herbs, $18.95 full, $11.95 half; Greek pizza with feta cheese, tomatoes, kalamata olives and oregano, $18.95 full, $11.95 half (pizza served during dinner only)
Salads: Mediterranean salad with garlic bread, $10.95, with chicken $12.95; Caesar salad with garlic bread, $8.95, with chicken $10.95
Entrees: Open-face meatball sandwich on ciabatta, $9 (lunch); baked rigatoni with four cheeses in a rose cream sauce, $10; chicken Davida with fried eggplant, sun-dried tomatoes and mozzarella, $18.95
Information: 451-1893.
