Rater Comments
These comments express the opinions of individual Restaurant Raters, not those of Washington City Paper.
Review by bobbiepb on January 10, 2010
If you can get past the utterly depressing and deserted look of the downright ugly strip mall that houses Pasta Plus (and trust me, this is not an exaggeration - not only is it hard to find but the first time I ever went here I pulled into the parking lot and got confused because it looks as if the entire shopping plaza went defunct years ago), the interior is slightly more bearable. I do understand why this place tends to get decent reviews, though. As compared with most other options in the Laurel area, it shines.
That said, Pasta Plus is mostly overrated.
Tip: unless you happen to like chomping down on whole cloves of garlic, which is apparently PP's interpretation of a garlic topping, you may want to avoid that particular option. In fact, for the most part I find their pies greasy and the cheese thick and odd and chewy. Which could actually make their pizza the perfect hangover food....
Review by Gerholdt on December 12, 2007
Your first clue that Pasta Plus is something special is the wood burning oven behind the front counter. The three medium sized rooms are wood paneled, with wine racks on the upper walls of the main room and a fresco on one wall of the second. The server, in a bow tie and ankle length white apron, brings warm, fresh, crusty, wonderful bread from that oven, which we dip in olive oil as we plan the meal. Carpaccio with Parmesan is a nice, light starter. One of the specials is pork cutlets in marsala sauce with fresh mushrooms, done just to tenderness. Eggplant Parmesan (the Plus) has a crispy crust under a brightly flavored marinara, topped with smoothly melted cheese. The same marinara tops a side of toothsome house made fettuccine, and grilled vegetables are an option for the carb-conscious. The salad is crisp, with the flavors brought out by good quality balsamic vinegar and olive oil. My companion has half her portion packed - with the generous servings you see white boxes leaving many tables.
One of the wine specials, a Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, pairs nicely with the food. It has an earthy nose, rounded fruit, moderate tannin and acid with a bit of wood and vine in the background. It reminds me of some Cabernet Sauvignon I have had that retails for more than the menu price.
The menu also includes seafood and some delightful rustic dishes, such as sausage and fagioli with polenta. The oven also produces authentic pizza and calzones, and the bread serves as a base for some fine subs, but the real reason I keep coming is upscale atmosphere, service, and food at very moderate prices. When I describe Pasta Plus to friends, I tell them I have had better Italian food, but I paid for it with Lira. Cinque Sporcci! Mangia!
Review by wingspot on February 23, 2005
Best restaurant in PG county, by far!!! This place is always consistently good. Not a great location, but the food is great! Highly recommend.
Review by mhberk on August 24, 2004
Not what you would expect in Laurel or outside of Little Italy! This restaurant first caught my eye when it was profiled on "Best Of..." on The Food Network. It was every bit as good as it looked on TV. They offer a full menu for sit in and a full menu for carry-out (which is located in a separate part of the restaurant and EVERYTHING is made fresh in house. My only qualm with the restaurant is that they don't take reservations and when they open for dinner on Fri or Sat, there is a line that goes down the side of the building (which shows how good the food is).
Review by zyaire on May 23, 2004
Due to the location of this particular restaurant, you would not expect to walk in such a nice place. It's quiet and quaint and it would appear in the few times I've been to this restaurant over the past 2 years, there is a very faithful group of supports...I am one of those supporters.
Friday and Saturday dinner times can find you standing in a line that spills outside of the door, but if you can wait to eat a little later (after 8:00pm), you can be seated right away.
