TAMPA, Fla. — Sometimes Chef Nic Bryon surprises even himself.
"I forgot how good this smells!" Nic laughs as he concocts a delicious Valentine's Day special for Pasta Packs, the hot new meal-kit service he started with his brother.
Nic makes his own pasta for cacio e pepe, spaghetti alla ragu and more. He handpicks all the ingredients, too, a meticulous craftsman keen on locally sourced supplies.
"This comes from a fresh, fresh standpoint," Nic says. "It's easy for anyone to make at home. All you need is a pot of boiling water and a saute pan, and you're good to go."
Tampa's Nic and Greg Bryon launched Pasta Packs last March, after Nic lost his sous chef position at Oak & Ola in Armature Works, a casualty of the pandemic.
"We just jumped right in, using the pressure of Covid in a positive light," says Greg, whose design studio Pep Rally Inc. saw a drop in business after the pandemic. "As soon as we developed the menu, we launched it."
Pasta Packs is a smash hit, getting love from both Good Morning America and the Wall Street Journal.
The meals serve two people and cost around $35. You can pick up your packs, have them delivered locally or shipped nationally.
The kits are easy to prepare yet highly Instagrammable, with a hip foodie aesthetic and packaging.
"It's fun, it's fresh, it brings the family together," says Chef Nic. "It really is pretty awesome."
For more on Pasta Packs, click here.