Maya Sciarretta of Sugo Sauce is set to open Pazzo Chow in Chinatown on Wednesday, April 1st (no fooling). The little eatery/delicatessen is the next step for Sciarretta after a successful couple of years sharing her passion for simple Italian cooking and bringing her particular brand of awesome to pop-ups, local events and craft fairs. We’ve long-loved her sauces – almost as much as her sexy, funny ads…

Pazzo Chow – located at 620 Quebec St. (just around the corner from The Keefer) – will carry the full Sugo line of sauces; everything from Classico and Puttanesca/”Whore Style” to Arrabiata/”Angry Style” and Fagiolata/”Bean Style” sauces. Sugo also makes infused olive oils, so these will be on the shelves, too, together with a bunch of Italian essentials and prepared foods (eg. squid in ragout, dried pasta, espresso). For sit down and take-out food, options Tuesday through Saturday (11am to 7pm to begin with) might include panini, soup, salads, and house-made pastas. Sciarretta will use the Pazzo Chow Instagram account to announce a daily special every day, so you might want to follow it if you live/work on or near the DTES. Sadly, there is no liquor license.

What’s in a name? “Well, it really came together in many different ways.” Sciarretta explains. “I wanted an Italian word that people could say in English easily and would still sound good. Pazzo translates to the British word ‘mad’, which is a more positive way of saying ‘crazy’ or thinking outside of the box or the norm – so putting a twist on something classic. Then I wanted a descriptor word – ‘chow’ – that means casual eating but also references Chinatown. On top of that, when one says ‘pazzo chow’ it sounds all-Italian with the ‘ciao’, like ‘Pazzo Hello'”.

Bonus: In the back of the space near the kitchen area there’s a 10-12 person table that will be available for private bookings for Saturday night suppers. Sciarretta plans to host 2-3 of these dinners per month.

Super Bonus: Ashley Watson of small-batch, artisanal ice cream company, Brown Paper Packages, will also be operating out of the space, offering a selection of traditional Italian scoops, pints, and quarts with Asian flavour twists.

Pazzo Chow

Neighbourhood: Chinatown

620 Quebec St.

604-563-1700

WEBSITE