Step Inside Pastabilities, Syracuse's Beloved Italian-American Restaurant

All the way back in 2012, host Guy Fieri skipped the Big Apple and took Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives and his taste buds north to Syracuse, New York. There was something amazing waiting there, something uncommon that so many restaurants have stopped doing. The allure of homemade pasta, scratch-made sauces and their own bakery across the street was strong, but when Guy heard about the duck bacon flatbread, he practically peeled out in the '67.

A Syracuse staple since 1982, owner Karyn Korteling operates both Pastabilities and the bakery they use for the bread across the street, Pasta's Daily Bread. Locals know it as "Pasta's," and over the last 40 years, the restaurant has morphed from self-service, cafeteria-style dining into a full-blown experience in Armory Square. Known far and wide for their made-from-scratch everything, it's the Wicked Chicken Riggies, Hot Tomato Oil and Wicky Wicky Pasta-cini that keep everyone coming back.

Have you ever seen a meatball disappear? Well, Guy has. Arriving tableside in a screaming-hot skillet, Pastabilities continues their tradition of homemade everything with a pair of amazing meatballs. With a beautiful beef and pork blend, these savory spheres are served with homemade tomato sauce spiked with their famous Hot Tomato Oil — known locally as Hot Tom.

Hot Tom features caramelized garlic for savory depth, and the oil used for that garlic goes right into the sauce. Karyn adds their house hot chili blend before blitzing it all with an immersion blender the size of a small child. Guy likened it to "next-day pasta sauce," referring to the powerful flavors found after letting foods like sauces and stews sit overnight. Needless to say, the mayor of Flavortown cleaned the plate in a hurry.

One of the most famous upstate New York dishes, iconic chicken riggies are another hot hit. Homemade rigatoni is a good indicator that you're somewhere special, somewhere that has made guests say, "You're home." Rich and creamy tomato sauce clings to the pasta, but it's the heat diners love. Not satisfied with the hot cherry peppers that set the dish apart, Pastabilities adds diced jalapeño, chipotle and cayenne pepper to their homemade tomato sauce. Add in cream for silky smoothness and a heaping helping of tangy Romano cheese for salty sharpness? That's a winner-winner, wicked chicken dinner indeed, Karyn!

With a restaurant name like Pastabilities, you find a way to pasta-fy everything. While the riggies might be an iconic dish, Pastabilities' Wicky Wicky Pasta-cini are unlike anything you've ever seen or tasted. Traditionally, arancini are balls of risotto that have been floured and fried. Karyn switches the rice out for angel hair pasta, using their signature Wicky Wicky sauce and ricotta as a binder before it's balled up and deep-fried. Crispy and creamy, the Pasta-cini are in such demand that they're only available for dine-in service.

And then there's the duck bacon flatbread. After curing for seven days, the duck breasts are rendered tender before hitting the smoker. Topped with crumbled Humboldt Fog cheese and drizzled with pomegranate syrup, it's no surprise that Guy called it "one of the best duck dishes I've ever had."