Photo by Cristina M. Fletes (Post-Dispatch)
Porano Pasta
When Gerard Craft announced Porano Pasta two years ago, he told me: “People are two things: really busy and really strapped for cash. Affordable options are really hard to come by, (options) that you feel good about. We wanted something we could really feel good about.” The chef who won a James Beard Award for his late flagship Niche has hit his aim. Porano Pasta serves excellent fast-casual pasta — the house noodles with the Smoky Sunday Sugo pork sauce could pass for a dish at his Pastaria — at a more than reasonable price. The menu includes bowls based on farro, gluten-free pasta, rice and greens as well as pasta, and it has expanded recently to feature a few sandwiches and thicker-crust Detroit-style pizza.
Hours: Lunch and dinner daily
Last year's ranking: new
Opened: 2016
Must order: Diners customize own meals