You can always count on Lisa (and Zac) for some good outdoor adventuring.
Well, with a friend of hers from Michigan in town – we played tourist this time around for Labor Day weekend and dined at a restaurant on Main Street. That right folks, no camp dinner tonight but food baked indoors in a machine! Pasta Jays in Moab, Utah.
So, two words…. Great. Pasta. Pasta Jays has some mouth-watering dishes that not only look good, but taste just the same. A slight wait for us on a busy Friday night gave us a table outside on the patio where we could see passerbys from Main Street.
I ordered the shells based on the server’s rec:
Giant pasta shells stuffed with basil, spinach, ricotta cheese and spiced ground beef baked in marinara sauce
Now, I believe I paid a bit more than the $11.99 price stated on the website. Was it because they have a higher-priced menu for the holiday weekend? Maybe?
It was yummy – a… 8 out of 10 stars? The sauce was just the right chunky: bold tomato flavors to enrapture the pasta. Three shells: filled with ricotta and sausage. It may seem like a small dish with only three shells but it filled me up pretty well. Of course, I had a bit of Lisa’s pasta as well – the veggie pasta…
fresh Italian vegetables sautéed in a marsala wine cream sauce
It had a flavorful spicy kick to it! Plenty of chunky squash, bell peppers and other veggies – large portion too.
On the left is Anthony’s tortellone:
Homemade pasta pillows stuffed with cheese and baked in Alfredo sauce
And what meal is complete without a thirst-quenching beverage? Margaritas for the gals while Anthony kept it manly with a couple of beers.
Okay, so…. this is where I think Pasta Jays falters… The margaritas were so-so. Although they use fresh squeezed lime and orange juices… it was served with (too old and) dried out limes (c’mon! just toss those and use some fresh ones) in a tall glass. All good margaritas are served in those fun upside-down-looking sombrero glasses!
And how come margaritas at a pizza and pasta joint? Why not an alcoholic spin on an Italian soda or something more creative but in-tune with the atmosphere? The overall taste wasn’t too bad – 5 out of 10!
Pasta Jays – great choice for dining in Moab! There are also a couple locations in Colorado: Boulder and Lone Tree. The pastas all looked freshly baked from the oven, bubbling fresh. The pizza at the next table also looked very delicious. The drinks – just don’t have high expectations of the “famous” margaritas, eh?
