Aunt Jake's: Little Italy Remodeled
Let's be real. Little Italy needs a fresh look. Aunt Jake's has come to the rescue. This refreshing trattoria specializes in homemade pasta. The best part? You don't have to worry about breaking the bank!
When you visit Aunt Jake's, you have an option to sit in their rustic indoor setting or on the bright outdoor patio, which is where I sat. That was delightful.
Let's talk about the food. The pasta is well-made. The idea here is that you can mix-and-match the type of pasta and the type of sauce. Honestly, whatever you choose, you won't be disappointed. For brunch, expect to pay about $16 for a bowl of pasta.
For dinner, you'll be paying about $18 for pasta but you also have double the number of options. There's also a family size option, which seems like a pretty good deal. Oh yeah, there are also family sized versions of their cocktails. Interested in a large pitcher of Frose or the Aunt Jake cocktail (Bourbon, Le Jay Cassis, Blackberries)?
Overall, Aunt Jake's is really good in value given the price and quality of food. I really like the chic yet casual atmosphere. For my next visit, I'll probably come for dinner and try some of their "Specialties" (maybe the Branzino or the Squid Ink Fettucine Vongole).
Sit out in the back to enjoy the garden / outdoor seating. There's plenty of light and it's not too hot. Highly recommend!
I was hungover and I needed fries. Pecorino Truffle Fries to be exact.
They were a bit oily but that's exactly what I needed. [$8 USD]
I was starving so I got an extra dish called the Porchetta Hash. It came with Pork Bits, Potatoes, Calabrian Chile, Hollandaise, and a Poached Egg. This is probably everything you would want for brunch: meat, egg, carbs.
This one was a bit oily but perfect if you had a late night.
I really enjoyed my pasta. Aunt Jake's prides itself on its homemade pasta and if I made pasta this good, I probably would too. Their pasta is great. It has good flavor and is cooked very nicely al dente. The tomato sauce is fresh and vibrant. The broken meatballs were fairly scattered but just enough to satisfy. Additionally, the extra fresh basil leaves were the perfect garnish.
For a quality bowl like this, I'm pretty happy with pasta at this price point. [$17 USD]
I also ordered the Tagliatelle. This type of pasta is thin, flat, and long. It's similar to fettucine but it's more narrow. The pasta was dressed with the Arrabiata sauce, which was made with tomatoes, chili pepper, and roasted garlic.
It sounds very standard but this pasta was good. It had a bit of a kick. The garlic flavor wasn't too overwhelming either. [$14 USD]