Dine and Discover Queens: Stephanie Berwick - Pastazerts

It’s “Dine and Discover Queens” time! “Dine and Discover Queens” is a monthly spotlight on some of the best food options from around the borough! This month’s featured company is Pastazerts, a direct-to-consumer dessert ravioli company. Stephanie Berwick of Rockaway Beach is the owner of the establishment. To learn more, go to https://pastazerts.com/.

What inspired the creation of your business, and how did you get your start?

It all started over a decade ago when I got my feet wet in competitive cooking. I had won $15,000 —first place—in a local upstate competition, which led me to compete in the World Food Championships in Las Vegas for two years in a row. In Vegas, we had to present dishes within a pasta theme in year one and within a dessert theme in year two, and a version of our chocolate ravioli was born. Fast forward to 2023, I began to form a business plan around chocolate ravioli products and launched in August 2023. We spent the balance of last year participating in pop-up markets around Queens, gaining customer feedback and learning about our audience. And it's been a great ride since!

Can you share a bit about your restaurant journey in Queens?

Out of my home kitchen in Rockaway Park, I developed an innovative dessert that quickly gained popularity among local food enthusiasts. We officially launched the business after moving from a test kitchen to a commercial kitchen in Long Island City. From local markets to specialty stores across Queens, Pastazerts grew organically, earning a loyal following for its innovative, gourmet approach to dessert. So not only do we call Queens our home, but we also produce our delicious chocolate ravioli in Queens!

Are there specific items that have become beloved by the Queens community, or anything you would like to highlight?

It's all about the chocolate ravioli! We have four main flavors: Strawberry Cheesecake, which is our best seller, Peanut Butter and Jelly, Fig, and Peppermint.