Using recipes passed down from ancestors in the Abruzzi region of Italy, this Pawleys Island eatery has been serving up delicious Italian specialties for more than 20 years.
Housemade items including breads, sauces, pastas, salad dressings, sausage, and meatballs give the fare a flavor that unique to Pasta 811. They also cook-up some of the best New York-style thin crust pizza in town. The menu here is divided into five sections – Appetizers, Pesce (seafood), Mangia La Pasta, Piatti di Carne (meat), and 811 Pizza.
Options for starters include familiar items like Calamari, Garlic Bread, and Calamari but there are also a few unique items worth checking out. Consider the Abruzzi bread, a signature appetizer of bruschetta topped with Abruzzi tomatoes, olive oil, spices, and Italian cheeses; or Chef David’s Shrimp Bisque, a creamy soup with baby shrimp, onions, celery, and bacon.
Standouts on the Pesce list include Seafood Risotto, with shrimp, scallops, mussels, and clams, in a creamy mushroom scampi sauce; Mahi-Mahi Milanese, with roasted red pepper, mushroom Milanese, fresh asparagus, and a creamy shrimp sauce over angel hair; and Seafood Mac n’ Cheese, a dish of baked flounder, shrimp, and scallops in a creamy cheesy sauce.
For their homemade pasta dishes, Pastaria 811 uses imported Italian semolina to create the perfect noodle. Variations include Marinara, Alfredo, Primavera, Alla Vodka, Parmigiano, and Carbonara, and most are available with your choice of noodle. Other options include Stuffed Shells, Lasagna, and Ravioli, prepared in the classic Italian tradition. For Carne options, check out the Osso Bucco, a house-specialty of tender pork shank and mashed potatoes in a roasted red pepper and mushroom demi-glace.
Diners can also opt for Chicken or Veal Milanese, Parmigiana, Marsala, or Picatte, each served over angel hair pasta. Three pie sizes are available – Authentic New York Thin Crust, and 10” and 14” Abruzzi Pan/Thick Crust. Traditionalists probably won’t want much more than pepperoni on top, but combinations like Bob’s Pizza (mushrooms, pepperoni, sausage, peppers, onions, cheese blend), Dan’s “Buffalino” Chicken Pizza (buffalo sauce, grilled chicken, Bleu cheese, available with a touch of ghost pepper sauce), and the 811 Amanti Carne (pepperoni, sausage, ham, meatballs, moggia chicken, blend of Italian cheeses) are all worth a try.
The interior here has a warm and inviting vibe, with dark wood hues and Old World art on the walls. Guests arrive in casual or fancy attire, depending on the occasion, and the tables are close enough together that the dining room takes on a communal feel during busier hours.
