Fresco’s Pasta Bar

I met a couple of girlfriends at the Midtown Global Market for dinner, and I knew immediately that we would have a hard time choosing a meal at just one of the seemingly endless spots. We wandered through, contemplating Asian, Latino, and Italian fare when we all stood in front of Fresco’s and nodded in agreement. The hubs and I aren’t big pasta eaters at home, so I do enjoy a chance to try something carb-​heavy and made fresh when the opportunity arises.
We all chose the build-​your-​own option, and I went with a penne/​chicken/​pancetta/​spinach/​tomato/​pesto combo that left me stuffed and satisfied. The food was fresh, service was great and I had leftovers for lunch the next day (highly appreciated for a girl who doesn’t exactly plan ahead!) I look forward to coming back soon.

We saw the articles about this pasta bar and were so excited to try it. We were very disappointed. First 2 people that ordered after me got their food first. Then I got my food and it was made wrong. The person went to make me another one and in the mean time made 2 other people’s meals. He got confused and made one meal twice that had shellfish in it and gave it to the gal who ordered chicken and has a shell fish allergy. We were very concerned as they used the same frying pan for all the meat that was being cooked. That gives cross contamination for people with shell fish allergies. I finally got my meal and it was not hot. The noodles are prepared ahead of time and were put in hot water to warm up. and warm is putting it mildly. The others who got their meals ahead of me said theirs was barely warm also and was dissapointing. The worker was all by himself and tried hard. He was very apologetic. It took about a half hour for me to get my meal. They also had spaghetti noodles on display and angel hair on the menu, but neither were available for purchase. This was a great idea, but very disappointing. My friend’s white sauces were too runny and were not thick. My sauce was just ok… It might have been better if I had better noodles. I did like the size and quality of the shrimp with the pasta. This is a great idea. but needs some work.

When the thermometer struggles to get into the plus side it is time for comfort food. Fresco’s is fairly new to the MGM and I think they will be a welcome addition.
I opted for the carbonara, half order (it is a big plus that you can get a half order of any of the pasta dishes), a side green salad and a beverage. Total bill just over $ 10 including tax.
The pasta dujour was fettucine, perfect for a bone chilling day. The carbonara includes chicken and pancetta, my preference would be to omit the chicken next time. The sauce was creamy, eggy, cheesy and overall delicious.
The salad was made fresh. It was nice to see a head of romaine taken out and cut up for my salad. The italian dressing was typical, but homemade. The veggies and the croutons in the salad were fresh and full of crunch.
Be sure to check out all the signs around the stand as there were several sandwiches at $ 5.99 which could be a real bargain. Don’t hesitate to ask questions as the owner is quite personable and willing to engage. There are gluten free options for those who are shunning the wheat.