Garfield the Cat was onto something with both his hatred of Mondays and eternal love for lasagna. While it might not be a platter of lasagna, Cafe Michelina in Hoboken has a pasta treat to make Mondays a little easier to handle. The classic Italian restaurant, located at 423 Bloomfield Avenue, serves up the tastebud trip every Monday night and yes, it’s as life-changing as it sounds. Read on to find out more about the pasta flights served only once a week at this local Hoboken spot.
Pasta Flights at Cafe Michelina
Every Monday, Cafe Michelina owner Sal Vicari and his team are busy preparing for the crowd of regulars and newcomers, many of whom come to the restaurant specifically for none other than the iconic pasta flights. Whether you’re in the mood to try something new or just can’t decide on what to have for dinner, pasta flights are a great way to sample it all.
Photo Credit: @cafemichelina
“Everyone likes beer and wine flights and I was like, wouldn’t this be dope in pasta form,” Second generation Cafe Michelina owner Sal Vicari told The Hoboken Girl. Paying homage to Sal’s family’s Italian roots, the pasta flights are meant to resemble the Italian flag with the colors red, white, and green represented with pasta sauces: pesto, cacio e pepe, and marinara sauce — and sometimes vodka sauce. Choose any pasta shape — penne, spaghetti, gnocchi, tortellini — to pair with the three sauces and enjoy a trio of classics from the long-standing Hoboken restaurant.
Read More: The Must-Try Pasta Spots in Jersey City
Don’t let the idea of ‘flights’ fool you into thinking this will be a small meal. There is just as much (if not more) pasta in these three dishes than a traditional pasta dish at the restaurant. These flights are best ordered as a full meal for one or as a PFT (pasta for the table) to share.
The rest of the menu is jam-packed with classic dishes from recipes that have transcended through the generations from Sicily + Molfetta to the United States where the Vicari family planted its roots in 1978. Best known for its stuffed rigatoni with chicken in vodka sauce, fresh mozzarella (made daily), and gnocchi in vodka sauce topped with burrata, the Cafe Michelina team prioritizes quality and freshness above everything else. Everything is made to order using recipes and traditions straight from the heart.
What’s more is that Cafe Michelina will be celebrating 30 years of business in Hoboken this April, a huge milestone for the Vicari family who started in the Mile Square in 1994. Sal promises it will be a special celebration for the whole community to enjoy.
See More: A List of Must-Try Pasta Spots in Essex County
Other major happenings at the restaurant include new weekly specials, Italian rainbow cake, which is hard to come by, even in Hoboken, as well as accepting delivery orders through GrubHub.
Cafe Michelina’s dining room is open seven days a week from 5PM to 10PM on weekdays and 3PM to 11PM on weekends. Cafe Michelina can also be found on GrubHub for takeout orders, but please note, the pasta flight is available for dine-in customers only. For more information and updates on specials, visit the restaurant’s Instagram.
