Table at Third & Fairfax is a weekly dining column in 2023 where Food and Drink editor Patricia Kelly Yeo will eat her way through the Original Farmers Market. Each column will drop on Thursday for a week-by-week recap of her journey through the classic L.A. tourist attraction. Last week, Kelly visited Friends and Family Pizza Co.
Early on Monday afternoon, I’m back at the Original Farmers Market for a second visit to Pasta Bar (est. 2022). On my walk over to the West Patio, I notice more vendors than usual are closed, possibly due to Yom Kippur. A large Noodle Art tarp covers the former Peking Kitchen stall and promises that handmade noodles are “coming soon.” I’m on my second lunch of the day, so I’d like to make this quick: Navigating through the thinned out crowds of tourists, I place an order for spaghetti bolognese ($24). I also wanted to order tiramisu, but they’re unfortunately out of the espresso-based dessert.
The cashier says it’ll take a solid 10 to 15 minutes before my order is ready, and unlike last time, all the seats at the counter are taken. I idle at a nearby table, scrolling through emails on my phone. “Ellie!” she calls, having misheard my name. I walk over to the to-go area, where she’s dropped my plate of standard-issue spaghetti bolognese. Like the spicy vodka lumache I tried on my last Pasta Corner visit, the dish is made with housemade noodles, which are displayed in the counter out front (and are available for purchase to make at home). This time, I’m not given any complimentary bread with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, which is a bit of a letdown.
Once I receive my order, the spaghetti bolognese is just as disappointing as the spicy vodka lumache. Maybe I’ve just been spoiled by recent pasta-centric meals at Funke (Beverly Hills) and Donna’s (Echo Park), but I can’t bring myself to eat more than a few bites. The meat sauce is full of garlic and onions, but the overall taste lacks a little oomph—maybe the bolognese needed a bit more cheese on top? The texture of the spaghetti is slightly too chewy, but not necessarily in a pleasing al dente way. The tomato sauce tastes flat, to be frank, and I’m not willing to subject myself to it further.
Given the fairly high prices and the proximity of Uovo, I wouldn’t recommend visiting Pasta Corner, even if you happen to be visiting the market. There’s plenty of other delicious, slightly more affordable eats, including Thicc Burger, Singapore’s Banana Leaf and Pampas Grill, and you shouldn't waste your time and money on Pasta Corner.
Meals from Table at Third & Fairfax fall into three categories: Skip It, Worth Trying and Must Have.
Vendor: Pasta Corner.
Order: Spaghetti bolognese.
Verdict: Skip. The noodles were oddly chewy, and the bolognese sauce was bland.