Lunch and To Go – Pasta Brothers – May 4, 2022 – San Francisco, CA.

Owner Sam Moeini is so nice, and did I say movie star handsome. He was so generous with me, giving me loads of products to stage at my friends home. I really enjoyed our conversations and all he had to tell me about his life, passions and business.  He is a super intelligent, interesting man!

Here’s what I tried and was given:

Fresh Sandwich:

Black Forest Ham Sandwich, super fresh bread and just the right amount of meat. This is a really great choice for lunch.

Pastas:

Roasted Butternut Squash Ravioli.

Heart Shaped Truffle Mushroom Ravioli. 

Lobster Ravioli.

Sauces:

Beef Ragu Alla Bolognese.

Alfredo White Pepper and Nutmeg.

Pesto Nut Free IL Pastaio.

Ready Made Products:

Impossible Beef Lasagna Bolognese.

Beef Lasagna Bolognese.

Polenta with Roasted Peppers and Fresh Spinach.

Eggplant Parmigiana.

 

Other Products:

Egg Pappardelle With Hemp Seeds.

Pappardelle All’Uovo.

EVOO Ritrovo Oil.

I basically mixed and matched quite a few different products:

Egg Pappardelle, I made a combo of the Alfredo White Pepper and Nutmeg Sauce and The Beef Bolognese with The Egg Pappardelle, it was so delicious. The very flavorful sauces combined were the perfect way to enjoy this very fresh pasta.

Lobster Ravioli, I made my own sauce with cream, butter, garlic, shrimp, shiitake mushrooms, corn, zucchini, and peas. It was very delicate and amazing.

The Roasted Butternut Squash, I made a very simple sage and butter sauce; this is one of my favorite dishes at some selected Italian Restaurants.  The sage and the butternut squash is very succulent, the best marriage of all ingredients.

Heart Shaped Truffle Mushroom Ravioli, I used the Alfredo sauce on this pasta, it was the perfect combination. If you plan on making a romantic dinner this is the pasta to use, it’s heart shaped.

Eggplant Parmesan,  the perfect amount of sauce, with the very tender eggplant, just the best.

Polenta with Roasted Peppers and Fresh Spinach. I put some of the Beef Bolognese Sauce on the top with some fresh parsley, really that is all you need. It is a simply wonderful dish. Everything is flash frozen, because they do not use any preservatives.

Sam Moeini and his brother Siam, who are identical twins, came from Iran after the revolution and escaped through the mountains, down to the border of Iran and Turkey. It took them three days to cross the mountains, at 30 below, they both lost 45 pounds. They made it to Turkey after 10 days, and then they eventually got to Rome, Italy, and lived there for 4 years. That is where they got their knowledge about pasta and Italian food in general.  He describes their harrowing escape being as dangerous as it gets. The brothers could have been shot at anytime and at one point were chased by wild dogs and wolves. This is the kind of stuff that screenplays are made from. Their chaperons carried raw meat to fend off the wild dogs and the wolves. Luckily they made it and are here to talk about all of their scary adventures, all of this at the young tender age of 17. They then came to America in 1985, with no money. Sam worked at a gas station for $2.25 an hour, as well as going to Contra Costa County College. Sam wanted to be a brain surgeon or a cardiologist. He says, “Even surgeons need to eat.” He loves the artistic side of the food industry, coming from a family of poets and painters.

Sam and his brother are very close and they also have a real estate company together. In 2015 they purchased a food-manufacturing company in San Jose, IL Pastaio Foods, which has been in existence since 1989. Brother Siam has tripled the business since they purchased it. They do manufacturing of up to 40 thousand pounds of pasta a month, selling their products to food purveyors, and restaurants. They decided to have a retail branch to promote products in San Francisco. Sam designed the whole store, which is clean and elegant. He created the logo for his Pasta Brothers for their flag colors. Pasta Brothers opened last September in 2021. Siam runs the San Jose operation and Sam takes care of the local San Francisco retail store. Sam also does all of the administration, licensing, compliances and financing.

Local neighborhood customers are loving their food. It took one and half years to get permits, during Covid. The space was a State Farm office before, many improvement drawings and permits were needed to open. The City was very happy to have them and they got approved.

Pasta Brothers is such a great addition to Divisadero St., from what I made and tasted their pasta is so incredible, just a super great find. The prices were extremely affordable as well. You can take any of their pastas home and treat your friends and family, they will be so happy.

Pasta Brothers

1734 Divisadero Street
San Francisco, CA 94115

(415) 525-4002

https://www.pastabrotherssf.com/

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