Today marks a saucy new holiday for the town of Eagle.
At Tuesday’s town council meeting, Eagle mayor Scott Turnipseed will officially proclaim June 22 to be Pasta to the People Day in honor of Pastatively, a local Italian restaurant that recently closed down.
“Whereas, the pasta loving people of this prime piece of paradise proudly proclaim their passionate appreciation for the presence of the premium pasta place, Pastatively!,” Turnipseed’s alliterative proclamation says.
The name of the local holiday references Pastatively’s slogan, “Pasta to the People”, which itself is a reference to the political slogan “Power to the people.” The proclamation also makes several references to the restaurant’s storied history in Eagle, like their long campaign to convince the town it should decorate their street with Christmas lights. That eventually became one of Turnipseed’s mayoral campaign promises.
Pastatively owners Dave Foster and Roberto Cammorota have been serving pasta dishes in Eagle for 17 years. Foster said he was surprised when he learned of the holiday.
“I'm honored and it's great to be a part of this community,” he said.
The two co-partners closed their restaurant this past weekend, at the end of their lease. Foster said they’ve struggled to retain staff due to the region’s housing crisis and the coronavirus pandemic.
“If we were going to run this summer, I really don't know how we would've staffed it because nobody can get any help,” Foster said.
Foster and Cammarota’s culinary presence won’t be completely gone, though. The two plan to continue selling their Pastatively sauces through local retailers.
