This small Italian restaurant doesn't capitalize on traditional, old-school fare - it emphasizes the simplicity in flavors with a modern touch.

Italian Restaurant Il Corvo has a line out the door before it even opens, and that line runs constantly throughout lunchtime.

This restaurant is only open for lunch, only during weekdays, and only serves three dishes that change each day. On this day, they had a pappardelle alla bolognese, a fusilli with nettle and hazlenut pesto, and a baked mafalda. They also have some standard items on the menu - their housemade focaccia, for instance.

After you make your way to the front of the line and pay (just $10 for your dish), then you're assigned a table and your food is brought out shortly thereafter.

First, though, I had ordered some of their housemade foccaccia, which was handed to me, and I took that back to my table and began nibbling bits while waiting on my papardelle.

At Il Corvo we rely on years of experience and knowledge in order to create the perfect noodle. We work with traditional bronze dies and handmade tools as well as high quality organic ingredients to develop pasta with a proper al dente mouth feel that is both delicious and firm. 

People sometimes mistake over or under cooking the noodle to directly affect the al dente texture of pasta. In fact, a proper al dente noodle is primarily the result of using high quality ingredients – semolina flour, wheat flour and fresh eggs. The protein in these ingredients are what creates the ‘tooth’ in the noodle – that’s what gives it it’s texture. 

We focus on formulating the right blend of flours, eggs and water for each pasta shape so that it has the right texture and tooth. By using organic flours, as well as local organic eggs which have a much higher protein content and better quality overall, we are able to produce a much higher quality pasta that cooks well, holds sauce perfectly and is delectable (OUR PASTA).

The bread is simple, but good. A nice complement to my pasta, which was ...

Delicious! I really like the slightly chewy, toothsome pasta. It makes it very substantial and delectable. This place is simple, but great. You bus your own table and fill your own water, so service here is nearly nonexistent, which goes along with the simple theme. It really is a great little place.

Grade: A