Pastavino, a new Italian restaurant, is now open at the intersection of The Parkway and South Batesville Road east of Greenville.
The restaurant was founded by cousins Niko and George Sakellis, who come from a restaurant background. Their fathers both own restaurants and founded Fratelli’s Italian & Seafood in Maryland. The family has become well known for its concept, including Maryland-style crab cakes, which the cousins thought the Upstate was missing.
“Our strategy at the end of the day was to create a little bit of like a downtown vibe without having to go downtown,” Niko said. “Just to bypass a lot of the parking and headaches and everything going downtown might bring.”
Pastavino is located at 441 The Parkway, just north of Interstate 85 and about a mile west of the Greenville-Spartanburg county line. The location was formerly home to a Rigsby’s Smoked Burgers, Wings & Grill.
The restaurant boasts a scratch kitchen with everything made to order and in-house. The wine menu rotates and is 50%-60% Italian wines, with some varietals coming in from other regions. The interior shows rich emerald green and gold accents with cozy brown banquettes.
Niko (left) and George (right) Sakellis, cousins and co-owners of Pastavino. Photo courtesy of Pastavino’s webpage.
Although the cousins did brag on the chicken Parmesan, the family’s crab cakes are their pride and joy.
“We’ve mastered [the crab cakes] since 1996,” George said, likening crab cakes in Maryland to pizza in Manhattan.
“When we say ‘Maryland crab cakes,’ we mean Maryland,” Niko said.
Pastavino is open Tuesday through Friday from 4 to 10 p.m., Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Dining and Cooking