Gigi's Pasta is Already Drawing Long Lines at Western Market - Washingtonian

"Two weeks in, lines are already long almost every day at Gigi's Pasta , a Western Market food hall stall with a fringed yellow awning and enough garlands of plastic lemons to decorate every restaurant on the Amalfi Coast. "Build your own pasta bowl" is not a new concept, but Gigi's has set itself apart with a retro aesthetic and a focus on made-to-order fresh pasta."

"Constandina Economides and Stephanos Andreou, the Greek American couple who own Gigi's, ran the downtown lounge Barcode and the fusion izakaya Sakerum, both now closed, as well as Tokyo Pearl , a Dupont Circle sushi bar. Gigi's is their first foray into Italian food and the fast-casual format. Before opening, the couple bought a pasta machine- then another one when the opening day crowds exceeded their expectations."

""It's generally the freshest pasta you can get," Economides says. "Those pasta machines are constantly making pasta from when we open to when we close.""

Gigi's Pasta operates as a build-your-own pasta stall in a Western Market food hall, drawing long lines within two weeks of opening. The owners, Greek American restaurateurs Constandina Economides and Stephanos Andreou, moved from lounges and izakaya concepts into their first Italian fast-casual venture. The kitchen uses continuously running pasta machines to produce freshly cut shapes like radiatori, spaghetti, rigatoni, and gigli. Customers choose a pasta shape, a sauce, and optional proteins or add-ons; vegetarian and gluten-free bases are available. The menu also includes chef specialties, a caprese salad, a cannoli, and focaccia served with every bowl.

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