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Saint Pasta announces return to downtown Phoenix

The famed food truck will reopen as a brick-and-mortar restaurant soon.
Saint Pasta's rigatoni in vodka sauce.
Saint Pasta's rigatoni in vodka sauce. Jackie Mercandetti Photo

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In an announcement that is sure to please the faithful, the venerable Saint Pasta is being resurrected this fall. Founder Racan Alhoch posted Friday via @eatsaintpasta that a new iteration of his fan-favorite food truck (and current small-batch sauce distribution company) will be returning to a brick-and-mortar location somewhere in downtown Phoenix in the coming months.

“More details to come but for now we’re hiring,” the post said. 

In the comments, Alhoch confirmed that it was a “next 90 days type shit,” and that more details were coming soon.

click to enlarge
The very early days of Saint Pasta.
Chris Malloy

Saint Pasta has something of a cult-like following in the Valley, with previous incarnations as a food truck that found a spot in the now-defunct Pemberton. Alhoch also flexed his culinary chops with Gemini Pizza, a collaboration at Bitter & Twisted Cocktail Parlour, which gave some attention to his thoughtful combinations of New Jersey-meets-Syrian inspired pizzas, sumac-garlic wings and Mediterranean salads.

After announcing a desire to pivot away from the intensity of the kitchen, Saint Pasta continued with a coveted run of small-batch Vodka sauces and packaged pasta that Alhoch seems excited to continue as the new restaurant takes shape.

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Gemini Pizza popped up at Bitter & Twisted where Alhoch expanded his menu offerings.
Bitter & Twisted

While the online sauce orders have been a blessing for those needing their fix of Saint Pasta, followers are buzzing about the possibilities of Alhoch turning loose again in a physical space, with the self-professed “Troll God” Alhoch joining in.

“The restaurant will only have two-hour waits,” he ribbed, playing off the notoriously long lines for chicken cutlets with vodka sauce and ricotta at The Pemberton.

Alhoch mentioned that Saint Pasta is currently seeking cooks, servers, bartenders and a host. Resumes can be sent to [email protected].

While Saint Pasta fans have been able to purchase hats and stickers that tout Alhoch’s wry slogan “Al Dente or Die” on their website in the year since he left The Pemberton, his followers seem happy to have lived to see another miracle, and excited to have a new place to worship.

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