TVB by: Pax Romana, White Plains
Neal Rentz photo
Paul Russo and his co-owners used some ingenuity to name their downtown White Plains Italian restaurant.
Russo, a Tarrytown resident, said TVB is an acronym for the Italian words I love you, to be used in a casual way. Pax Romana is Latin for the Roman Beast, “which was a great time for the Roman Empire. It lasted about 200 years or so,” Russo said.
The name of the eatery could also refer to the Roman cuisine it offers. Though the menu is influenced by dishes from various parts of Italy, it is “more Roman inspired than anything else,” he said.
The dishes are simply made, featuring few ingredients.
“We didn’t want to overcomplicate things,” Russo explained. “Italian cooking is very simple. I don’t think there’s anything on the menu that has more than four or five ingredients.”
The menu features traditional Roman pasta dishes as Spaghetti Alla Carbonara, the best-selling pasta on the menu, and Tagliolini Cacio E Pepe. Russo said the full-service restaurant is “a pasta house,” with its focus is on fresh pasta. There are about a dozen varieties featured daily.
“We make everything fresh in-house every day,” he said.
Russo said the pastas are made by his grandmother, Graziella Fante, and Giovanna Runco, the mother of his two partners, Alfredo Runco and his brother, Christian.
“Every day at lunchtime you can see them here making pasta right at our pasta bar,” Russo said. “We’re all about transparency and people being able to see the operation of the restaurant.”
Another specialty at TVB is pizza, Russo said. Pizzas are made with Pinsa Romana, a mixture of soy, wheat, rice and sourdough flour imported from Rome, he said.
The menu also includes such entrees as Branzino, which is Mediterranean Sea Bass with vegetables; Tagliata, which is sirloin steak with cherry tomatoes, arugula and shaved parmigiana; and a selection of parmesan dishes.
“We’re one of three restaurants in the country to carry it,” Russo said. “It’s a very, very special flour and it creates an awesome crust.”
The restaurant originally opened at another East Post Road location in February 2016 but was forced to move last year after encountering issues with the building and its landlord. TVB by: Pax Romana was moved to its current site at 171 E. Post Rd. last July. Business has been outstanding, Russo said.
“For us it really just comes down to genuine intentions and being ego free,” he said. “We genuinely want you to truly enjoy your time here.”
TVB by: Pax Romana is located at 171 E. Post Rd. in White Plains. For more information visit www.paxromanany.com/ or send an e-mail to paxromana_ny@cloud.com. The restaurant also has a Facebook page.
