Homemade Pasta Is A 114-Year Family Tradition At Raffetto's In Greenwich Village
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - At Raffetto's in Greenwich Village, two generations of family work side by side.
Andrew Raffetto and his daughter Sarah are purveyors of pasta and all that goes with it, from sauces to cheeses to imported Italian cookies.
Andrew's grandfather, Italian immigrant Marcello Raffetto, founded the shop in 1906. Fourteen years later, he purchased the building on Houston Street, a decision Andrew and Sarah say has been critical to the shop's survival.
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From generation to generation, the business retains its old-world feel.
"The saying applies—if it isn't broken, don't fix it," Andrew said.
The offerings remain largely unchanged, with the exception of new sauces and prepared meals developed by Romana Raffetto, Andrew's mother and the shop's beloved matriarch, who died in 2018.
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Raffetto's fresh pasta comes in a range of sizes—as thin as linguine and as thick as pappardelle. It's cut to order on a machine that's over a century old. The Raffettos say that many of their elderly customers watched noodles pass through the very same machine when they were kids.
Styra Eisinger has been shopping at Raffetto's for fifty years. To her, the store is integral to the neighborhood. "It's one of the perks of living here," she said.
Sarah says the Raffetto's staff and customers share a bond.
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"You'll see multiple generations that want to perpetuate those traditions that their grandparents, great-grandparents instilled by coming for the meat and spinach ravioli or the manicotti," she said.
The shop is central to life for the Raffettos. For many years, members of the family lived in an apartment directly above the store.
For Sarah, the smells of fresh dough bring back childhood memories of sneaking bites of uncooked pasta in the shop.
"It was really a special experience to grow up in this place," she said.
Raffetto's
144 W Houston Street
New York, NY 10012
(212) 777-1261
http://raffettospasta.com/
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