Inside a new pasta spot with ties to some of Calgary's most notable restaurants
Calgary has a new low-key pasta spot, serving up some of the city’s best noodles right from Crossroads Market.
The Little Noodle Shop, which opened in September, is a very different project for owner Tony Migliarese, the name behind some of Calgary’s most notable restaurants, including DOPO, Pizzaface and the newly opened Penny Crown Tavern.
Found in the centre of Crossroads Market, just beside Say Cheese Fromagerie, The Little Noodle Shop offers fresh pasta and sauces that can be enjoyed at the market or to-go.
“I’ve always loved the market here. It’s a nice mix of kind of vintage goods and records, and then you can get fresh produce, poultry and meat, and there’s great food in here. We wanted to be in the people’s market,” Migliarese told Dished.
As many Calgarians can attest, scoring a reservation at DOPO is no joke. But for those looking to still enjoy quality pasta in a more casual setting, The Little Noodle Shop offers a lot of favourites from the Marda Loop restaurant, including the giant raviolo, pickled green tomatoes and even its ever-popular tiramisu.
Charlie Hart/Dished
“I feel like here, I’m eating a home, nonna cooked meal with the meatballs and the spaghetti. Then at the restaurant, you have a restaurant-calibre of pasta,” Migliarese explained.
“The quality is there on both ends, but it’s just two different feelings.”
Quality of ingredients is a major consideration for Migliarese, and even though it’s not a sit-down restaurant, the same care goes into preparation at The Little Noodle Shop as it would at any of his other restaurants.
“We don’t skip out on ingredients. We use double-zero flour and semolina, both from Italy, so that you don’t feel as heavy after you eat it,” he said.
“We have a world-class Italian pasta extruder. For the giant raviolo, we use eggs from the farmers here in the market.”
What to order
Visiting The Little Noodle Shop is a choose-your-own-adventure scenario. In the case by the cash register, you’ll find a variety of pasta shapes such as rigatoni, bucatini, spaghetti and tagliatelle. All diners need to do is choose their shape, pick a sauce and enjoy.
We just had to try out a couple of the spot’s heavy hitters while visiting the market, so our first choice was the potato gnocchi with pomodoro sauce, with a good helping of Stracciatella cheese on top.
Charlie Hart/Dished
And believe us when we tell you it was some of the best gnocchi around. Pillowy soft and delicious with a savoury but fresh pomodoro sauce. Plus, we’ll never say no to extra cheese.
Of course, there was no way we were leaving The Little Noodle Shop without a taste of the giant raviolo. This has been a staple on the menu at D.O.P. then DOPO, becoming one of the most recognizable dishes in the city.
Charlie Hart/Dished
We’ve had this dish at DOPO before, but it’s still just as enjoyable to eat in the bustling market. The freshly made pasta is filled with whipped ricotta and a runny egg yolk, served in brown butter with crispy fried sage. It’s creamy and rich, but without feeling heavy.
Another favourite found at DOPO, Pizzaface, and now, The Little Noodle Shop is tiramisu, based on Migliarese’s mother, Rose’s recipe. If you’ve never tried it before, you’ll definitely want to save room for this. Trust us.
The Little Noodle Shop is open Friday through Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The Little Noodle Shop
Address: Crossroads Market – 1235 26th Ave. SE Unit 134, Calgary
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