Motif Seattle is a proud participant of Hyatt Loves Local, a new initiative that enables Hyatt hotels around the world to support local small businesses who have been deeply impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. From chefs and wellness experts to farmers and artists, Seattle's small businesses help define the culture of our community.
As a Hyatt Loves Local participant Motif has teamed up with newly established pasta project, Mixtape Pasta. Guests and locals alike will be able to sample Mixtape Pasta dishes at Frolik Kitchen + Cocktails, pick up noodles in the hotel lobby to take home, and experience exclusive pasta + music pairing dinners on the rooftop with owner Megan Barone.
We look forward to welcoming you soon to experience this curated pop-up!
Mixtape Pasta is a weekly fresh pasta project/pop-up in Seattle and Tacoma. The team works with local farms and seasonal ingredients to create bold flavors to spark your culinary creativity. A community supported noodle culture.
Food & Wine have always been a part of Mixtape Pasta chef and owner Megan Barone’s life. Born and raised in the famed California Central Coast wine region, Barone grew up making fresh pasta in her mother’s kitchen. As a young teen, she further expanded her knowledge of Italian cuisine while working at a neighbor’s Italian deli and catering business.
She moved to Seattle in 2007 to be part of the region’s vibrant farm-to-table food scene, working as a Culinary Instructor at Sur La Table and Poggi Bonsi, and as a freelance culinary consultant, recipe developer, and caterer.
Beginning in January 2020 there were looming wine tariffs and Barone was genuinely fearful she was going to lose her job in the natural wine industry. Then the coronavirus pandemic hit, upending life for everyone. Barone started making pasta for clients who were staying open and essential workers. A few Instagram posts later, and friends began asking how they could get in on the pasta magic.
After a decades-long career in the food and wine industries, a global epidemic and a newly-reignited desire to connect with her community inspired Barone to take the leap into full-time pasta making. What started out as a way to feed her food industry friends and keep quarantine cabin fever at bay, soon snowballed into a 100-pound a week enterprise.
As the name Mixtape suggests, Barone’s first passion was music. An accomplished saxophonist in her own right, Barone studied jazz performance at California State University, Long Beach and has performed professionally with Stevie Wonder, John Williams, and The Henry Mancini Institute Orchestra. Today, her musical influences are an integral part of the Mixtape concept. Songs inspire pasta flavors, while and Emiliomiti pasta sheeter dubbed Nina Simone cranks out hit after hit of “crazy-flavored” extruded pasta. Sir Mix A Lot (an industrial stand mixer) kneads farm fresh eggs and semolina into whimsically-named sfoglia dough balls.
Barone is now bringing both passions together for these exclusive pasta-music pairing pop-up dinners at Frolik Kitchen + Cocktails, located on the 5th floor of the Motif Seattle hotel. Join us to dive deep into the world of pasta, wine, and the arts. Check back for details on upcoming pop-ups.
