Pastitalia, Harlem is owned by Elena and Matteo

Elena and Matteo are an Italian couple whose dream to bring fresh, homemade Italian flavors to Harlem started way back on Isola d'Elba.

On that famed island off Italy's Tuscan coast, Elena ran a restaurant named Pappa & Ciccia, while Matteo was the manager at Hotel Antares. Over 8 years, they honed their passion for food and hospitality, and met tourists from every imaginable corner of the world, which piqued their interest in moving to New York.

In 2016, Elena and Matteo opened Sottocasa Pizzeria on Malcolm X Boulevard. They quickly and effortlessly wowed the crowd with their authentic Neapolitan-style pizzas and warm personalities. Having firmly won the hearts and bellies of their Harlem community, they decided to open Pastitalia in 2022, just a stone's throw from Sottocasa, so that they could offer a larger range of Italian foods to New Yorkers.