Although pasta is still the shop’s number-one seller, it is not de Garmo’s passion. What excites him today is the sense of place that defines the local food scene, its incredible growth and potential, and the young people involved. He sees parallels between our region and what has occurred in Italy in the last 20 years. “The most striking thing is the number of young Italians reviving the food and wine traditions of their parents’ generation. What all of them have in common is a profound sense of place.”

That’s what draws de Garmo to Piedmont’s food, wine, and culture as well. “I think the reason I have always loved the Basques—going so far as to once convince a wine writer that I actually was Basque—is for the same reason my friends in the Piedmont are so involved in their food traditions,” he admits. “It’s wanting and nurturing a sense of place.” Despite having lived all over the country, his place is Portland.

What de Garmo sees in this new generation of artisan food producers and farmers in the Portland region are a varied group that’s firmly rooted to the soil and seasons. “They aren’t wide-eyed, but pragmatic,” he notes. “They want to succeed. They aren’t blinded and burdened by the history. They’re not reinventing the past; but using old methods for a different reason—the future.”

De Garmo and his son Kevin, who manages Pastaworks at City Market on Northwest 21st, also have their eye on the future. September marks the opening of their new store on North Mississippi, which Peter calls going “back to the future—a larger and better version of the Hawthorne store when we opened 25 years ago. Our focus will be what we do best—cheese, groceries, and pasta.”

“We can’t and don’t offer all things to all people,” is how de Garmo explains the narrow focus of goods available at Pastaworks. “We constantly debate what we put on our shelves. That discussion is framed by quality considerations, as in ‘absolute’ quality, as well as value for quality. Our shelf set is not determined or influenced by vendors. Simply put, we care about the foods that we place on the shelves. And yes, it’s nice—and sustainable—to be able to make a profit from those foods.”

The only potential downside to a business model like Pastaworks’ is that the shop isn’t big enough to corner the market on a particular product. So as supermarkets further expand into specialty food, it’s up to the Pastaworks staff to search for new producers and sources. It is a skill this team has always excelled at—Catalonian Siruana Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Prosciutto di Parma, and Jamón Serrano are just a few of the many products first introduced to Portland by the store over its 25 years. And since the shop prides itself on providing the best for its customers and its size enables it to eschew layers of management and large warehouses, the folks at Pastaworks will always welcome that kind of challenge.

Megan Holden is a writer living in Portland, Oregon.