Al Dente

New York’s Barilla Restaurant Aims to Be the Chipotle of Spaghetti

Like this, but fresher and with much more sauce.
Like this, but fresher and with much more sauce. Photo: Barilla

The Italian pasta giant has distanced itself from the anti-gay remarks made by its chairman with copious apologies and extensive community outreach, not to mention the launch of some kind of futuristic 3-D pasta-printing gizmo and the opening of Academia Barilla, a casual lunch spot in midtown serving fresh pastas. Executives say the cafeteria-style dining room is Barilla’s bid to open the “Italian version of Chipotle,” which doesn’t mean that they’ll be serving penne-à-la-vodka-stuffed burritos, though the kids would love that. The three-month-old restaurant is already eyeing locations in Herald Square and Bryant Park. [WSJ, Related]

New York’s Barilla Restaurant Aims to Be the Chipotle of Spaghetti