The hottest new performance in NYC: Pasta makers show off in cafe’s front window

They’re noodling around — for all to see.

At Travelers Poets & Friends, a new cafe in the West Village, the women making the fresh pasta are taking centerstage, working at a huge front window and showcasing their craft to passerby on Sixth Avenue

“It’s like a performance.” said Mary Delaney, 70, who lives in the neighborhood.

“I love it. My ancestors came from Puglia, and my grandmother made orecchiette by hand when I was growing up. We would go to her house every Saturday,” she continued. “I came by the other day, and I saw these ladies making orecchiette, and it brought me back.”

Lead pasta-maker Herlinda Martinez has been cutting and rolling fresh noodles for 25 years, working at top restaurants such as Tribeca Grill, il Buco Alimentari & Vineria and the late, great i Trulli.

Neighbors say the pasta-making in the window at Travelers Poets & Friends is “like a performance.” Emmy Park for NY Post
Neighbors say the pasta-making in the window at Travelers Poets & Friends is “like a performance.” Emmy Park for NY Post

But, she always toiled away in obscurity, working in the back or in a downstairs kitchen. The spotlight has been a welcome change, particularly when children from nearby PS 41 come by.

“It’s completely different because I have interactions with guests,” Martinez, 45, told The Post via translator. “I love it, especially when the kids watch and I can see their faces.”

There’s another thing Martinez loves about her new gig: daylight.

A team of pasta-makers craft 300 pounds of noodles daily at Travelers Poets & Friends. Emmy Park for NY Post
A team of pasta-makers craft 300 pounds of noodles daily at Travelers Poets & Friends. Emmy Park for NY Post

“It’s nice to have sun,” she said.  “I never had that before.”

Martinez’s daughter, Kayla, 20, is also on the pasta-making team, which produces some 300 pounds of noodles — some used for restaurant dishes and some sold to customers to take home and cook themselves — daily. She enjoys talking to spectators about their craft.

“I like to explain about the pasta production,” she told The Post.

But, the attention took some getting used to.

“When I started I was a little nervous,” said Martinez.

Pasta makers are enjoying having their moment in the sun at Travelers Poets & Friends. Emmy Park for NY Post
Pasta makers are enjoying having their moment in the sun at Travelers Poets & Friends. Emmy Park for NY Post

The group behind the cafe, One Hospitality, chose the space — previously home to a Chinese restaurant called Sammy’s Noodles — with a pasta window in mind.

“For us being Italian, pasta is something we all have inside our roots,” said chef Riccardo Orfino. “We thought it would be nice to show people how pasta is made.”

Hannah Showak, who lives nearby and walks her dog past the cafe a few times each day, said it’s truly transporting.

“We love this addition to the neighborhood … This storefront had been empty so long,” she said. “It’s incredible to see them working in the window. It’s like a little piece of Italy here.”