03/07/2026
Hey, Pasghetti and Tasty Thai customers.
I'm out of the restaurant business. We looked and looked and looked for another location to no avail. Beyond that, the longer I don't own a restaurant, the happier I am. That's not to say,by any means, that I didn't love the experience. I did. It was short-lived, but what a wonderful experience it was! The people I was privileged to serve were kind to us. You were patient. You were forgiving. You were loyal. You gave me joy. I was delighted to see my regulars walk in. I was delighted when a new customer enjoyed their meal.I loved walking by the tables and hearing "yum yum" sounds. I loved the kids who insisted that parents bring them to Pasghetti, and nowhere else!
You put up with our faulty lighting, and our mistakes, and our long ticket times, and the oppressive heat in the dining room during the summer months. You sent me customers and they were sure to tell me who sent them. I remember the guy from Brooklyn who told me my meatballs were "better than my Mom's!" Sir, if you're out there, you filled my heart with so much love and happiness.
To all the one-star reviewers, f**k you! We did our absolute best. You're miserable people who deserve your miserable lives.
Delivery services, Uber, Doordash, GrubHub, et al. I have mixed feelings and that's an understatement. First the good. 99% of our drivers were so nice. Many of you came to eat and brought your families. Many of you became regulars. Thank you for your patronage and kindness.
Now the bad. Some stole from me. Shamelessly. That sticks in my craw. No more on that topic. You know who you are.
A word to consumers: STOP USING DELIVERY SERVICES! If you really think it's admirable to "shop local" then get in your car and go get your food! Uber and the like charge the restaurant as much as 30% of the total ticket to bring your food to you. They pay the drivers next to nothing and placate the consumer with a full refund upon request, regardless of the validity.
I can't tell you how the chance encounters with strangers enriched my life. The stories that were told. The pictures kids drew and painted. The sports talk. The conversations about music. When you went away on vacation and came back to show me pictures and tell me all about the time you had.I'm going to miss this the most.
My vendors were cool too. They cleaned the taps, washed the rags, delivered the produce and pasta and gave me free advice. They were always warm and friendly.
As for my team, I love you. You drew a lot of criticism at times, and often praise. Whether you were with me from the beginning, or came in at the end, I couldn't have done it without you. You scrubbed and cleaned and cooked and scrubbed and cleaned and swept and mopped and came in late and came in drunk and came in high... You came in with problems that weren't mine. You took pride in your work and you were devoted. You did the work that no one else would do. I appreciate you more than you'll ever know.
I made sure not to mention any names in this soliloquy, because it would be impossible for me not to leave someone out. But, there is a little girl named Elouise, whom I'd like to mention. She's about six years old and she made sure to let me know everytime she came in with her family that one day, she would work at Pasghetti. I think she took it harder than me when I closed the St Pete location. She always came back and helped make her own pizza! She loved this place as much as I did! She always came in with a new picture that she'd drawn.Thanks, kiddo!
So what am I going to do now? Well, I don't know. BUT...
Nok is doing Thai cooking classes, both online and in person. If you want to learn how to make real, authentic Thai cuisine, message me.
This sentence is the hardest for me. Good-bye. Love all around.
