One of the best restaurants to dine at indeed is the one where you’re known. We headed over to Pasta by Hudson, a fast-casual fresh pasta bar between 20th and 21st Streets on Seventh Avenue as my friend is a friend of the owner, Brandon Fay. They had met and befriended when Brandon was Managing Director of Trattoria Dell’ Arte.

Brandon recently appeared on Shark Tank with his concept, getting an investment of $150,000 in exchange for 30 percent equity. We had to try it.

Brandon greeted us with a taste of their frozen strawberry frosé ($11) while we perused the menu. We then ordered wine ($9 a glass) with a choice of red, white or sparkling.

While waiting for our meal, we shared their specialty salad with arugula, broccoli, sliced fennel, roasted carrots and mushrooms cherry tomatoes.

I had perused the menu that afternoon noticing that I was able to customize my pasta dish by picking a type of pasta, a type of sauce and any extras. I knew I had to have their Shark-Tank-mentioned cheesy meatball ($5) stuffed with fresh mootz. — New Haven-speak for mozzarella cheese. With so much flavor, I’d decided on their simplest sauce. Pomodoro. But which pasta? I love bucatini, but would this straw-like spaghetti go? Yes, I learned, when I finished reading the menu as that the combo was listed as one of their favs. I ordered that ($13.40) hearty portion served in a Chinese take-out contains.

My friends each had one of the cracker-crisp crust individual pizza. One had the Mr. wonderful “the best meatball (pizza) I’ve ever had” with fresh burrata mozzarella ($21); the other Prosciutto di parma & arugula pizza with fennel and shaved parmesan ($16). I will sample one of those next time.

We ended with their sweet chocolate chip cannoli plus some chocolate chip cookies.

I suggest a visit!

Pasta By Hudson
Chelsea
180 7th Ave
New York, NY 10011
(929)-992-3100
pastabyhudson.com