Have you ever wanted to purchase fresh homemade pasta and sauces to take home with you? Let me introduce you to Viola’s Pantry. It’s a local business that started in 2020 where owner, Kristina Grappo, started out selling homemade pastas and sauces out of the Reverie Roasters commercial kitchen space. You may have also seen her business at some of the local vendor and farmer’s markets around town.
On Saturday, Nov. 13, Grappo along with her husband will be opening their own brick & mortar location at 156 N. Cleveland where Birney’s Snack Shop used to reside. I dropped by earlier in the week to get a first hand look at what to expect.
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156 N Cleveland, Wichita, KS 67214
512-777-8036
Tuesday – Saturday: 10am – 6pm
Closed on Sunday and Monday
Website | Facebook
Cash/Card Accepted
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Rest assured, everything is made on site. The goal is high-quality and to ensure that, Grappo purchases many of her ingredients locally.
When you stop by, the noodles are sold frozen, but only take minutes to be ready for consumption. The sauces are also kept in a fridge that you can browse through. Viola’s Pantry sells pastas and sauces in pound and half-pound servings. Prices for most options ranged between $10-15. What else does a good, hearty Italian dish call for? Bread. They have that available as well.
We picked up some fettuccine noodles with a bolognese sauce and tortellini noodles with pear, pecorino, parmigiana reggiano, and housemade ricotta with an herbed brown butter sauce.
If you’re an idiot like me in the kitchen, they supply you with easy-to-read and follow instructions. If you can’t read, you’re on your own then. Here’s an example sheet.
We kept it simple and started off with the tortellini and herbed brown butter sauce. It literally took us under ten minutes to prepare.
The noodles were soft, yet had a firmness to it that gave it more substance. I tried to savor each bite and take in the experience of the meal. The tortellini paired quite well with the butter sauce. There was a distinctive herbal, toasty and nutty flavor that wasn’t overpowering at first bite, but picked up with each bite.
The result is a distinctive toasty, nutty flavor that is unbelievably good. Add the earthy savoriness of the herbal trio to the browned butter and you have a delectable spread that tastes wonderful on any roasted fowl or hearty bread.
Sitting in the fridge is the bolognese and fettuccine, awaiting us to devour it. Until then, give Viola’s Pantry a check. There’s a growing movement of people wanting higher-quality fresh foods that they can enjoy from home. This definitely accomplishes that.
And if you’re into making pasta, be on the lookout as Viola’s Pantry is in talks about hosting some cooking classes in the future. I’ll definitely be doing that.
Here’s the menu they had on display. Keep in mind, the menu can change from week to week.
Happy Dining,
Eddy
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