Trailer Thursday: Gnocchi and Ravioli at Regal Ravioli in Austin
Through recent years of watching celebrity chefs like Mario Batali and Giada De Laurentiis magically unveil classic Italian dishes on television screens, many have been convinced the dish is as easy as 1, 2, 3 (eggs, flour, water). But the chefs and cooks who have mastered it know better; the truth is, pasta is utterly deceiving.
Nevertheless, a new food trailer has deemed itself up to the culinary challenge. Regal Ravioli, a vibrant yellow trailer, has parked its wheels in East Austin and invited all ravioli lovers to come out and chew. Speaking to those who are awaiting cooler temperatures to brave outdoor dining, the blackboard outside wants a word with you: “No, it’s not too hot for pasta.”
Behind the trailer’s small, sliding window stands Zach Adams. Adams spent over a decade with The Neighborhood Restaurant Group in Washington, D.C., opening an eclectic mix of restaurants, and also has a film degree from American University. Two years ago, he migrated to Austin, hoping to undertake a new direction. He spent those two years working as a bartender at Corazon at Castle Hill, studying the techniques and styles of local food trailers in his spare time. Within a year, he found an open niche and began developing the menu and concept of his trailer.
Despite being born and raised in New Jersey by a Sicilian mother, Adams quickly nixed the assumption that he cooks Italian food because of his heritage. “The idea to open the trailer came after I realized I wasn’t getting the food options I was used to after I moved here. It got me really excited to know that there might be an opening in this saturated trailer market,” he said. “I don’t want my food to be categorized as strictly Italian, though. Just because it’s pasta doesn’t mean that it is only Italian food. I’m going to think outside the box of heavy red sauce and loads of cheese.”
The primary option on the menu, ravioli, is where Adams’ innovation breaks free. “I have hundreds of ravioli ideas in my head,” he said. “I can’t wait to start trying all of them out.”
Utilizing Texas ingredients has only aided in his creations. “Smoked food is wonderful, and I want to figure out how to start incorporating more of that in my dishes, and the use of chili peppers has opened up a window I knew was there, but didn’t think all that much about,” he said. “I’ve been able to get in touch with all that this region has to offer.” (more…)
Tagged: austin, East Austin, Gnocchi, Layne Lynch, Pasta, Ravioli, Regal Ravioli, Trailer Thursday
