PastaMama Is Open for Business

Whew. I really don't know if there are words to describe the past few weeks, but I'll give it a shot. Whirlwind. Complete insanity. Beautiful. Pure joy. Not enough sleep.

PastaMama opened quietly a little less than three weeks ago and thanks to the quality of our food, the cuteness of the space (that's quite important here, since so many restaurants in Cusco are just butt ugly), the competency and friendliness of our staff and the amazing generosity of all of our friends here in town who've patronized the restaurant and spread the word we have been busier than we ever imagined.

We actually RAN OUT OF FOOD our first Saturday night. Unbelievable.

The process leading up to the opening was stressful, but Hum and I survived with only a few scratches. We argued over stupid things, made waaaay too many trips to Plasticos 2000 (where you can buy everything under the sun -- except food), and patiently waited for our carpenter to deliver what he promised. And he did -- just a few weeks late.

And then we got down to cooking. Hum is making the sauces while I'm doing all of the desserts and a special of the day (could be a soup or possibly something from the oven). Our pasta comes from Abancay, a town in the Cusco region about 4 hours away and it is ABSOLUTELY delicious. It cooks quickly and the texture and flavor are unlike any other pasta you can find here in Cusquenian restaurants (most use store-bought, cheap stuff). Our food is good and inexpensive (about s./10 a plate -- that's about $3) and word is spreading, thanks to our good friends here. We were so tired our first week that we literally fell into bed every night. We're getting more accustomed to it now, and so it's been a little easier. And it's been a lot of fun!

I love that I have my own restaurant and can cook whatever I want. We have 6 sauces that stay the same every day, but I can change everything else. And I do. Depending on what I find in the market, I will make anything from a mushroom and barley soup to a polenta lasagna. Creativity is key (as well as intuition when it comes to cooking. We've had no complaints yet and quite a few return customers, so I think we're on the right track -- even if some of them are only returning for the peppermint patty pie.

Some photos of our tiny little restaurant...


Exhaustion is something I figured would happen but there was just no way to prepare for it. Owning and operating a restaurant -- even a tiny one like ours -- is EXHAUSTING. We are working hard to make this a place people want to go to, and it hasn't been easy -- but it's definitely been rewarding. I just need to catch up on my sleep!

And, to top it off, I have been blessed with "in-laws" that I absolutely love. Hum's mom and sister have visited a few times since we've opened and have been saviors. They clean our house, do laundry and anything else they can to help. I'm their "Maricita" and it's refreshing and wonderful to have family that shows so much love for me without asking or expecting anything in return. This is a first for me and I'm almost overwhelmed with emotion when I think of how amazing they've been.

I will be doing my best to post a little more regularly, but, well, you know. I own a restaurant now.