Pasta classes and events move into historic Bogardus Mansion in Tribeca

A landmarked Tribeca building built for cast-iron grandeur is about to make room for flour, fillings and rolling pins. Italia Like Locals is moving its cooking-class and catering operation to 75 Murray Street, the Bogardus Mansion between West Broadway and Greenwich Street, bringing pasta-making classes and events into one of downtown Manhattan’s most recognizable historic addresses.

The move gives the business a larger stage for the kind of hands-on culinary programming it already runs, and it also takes its beer and wine license along with it. That should make the new space work not just for daytime workshops, but for evening gatherings too, with the flexibility to host both public classes and private events in a setting that feels closer to a dinner party than a classroom.

The building itself adds plenty of drama. 75 Murray Street is also known as the Hopkins Store and the Bogardus Mansion. It was built in 1857-58, is associated with James Bogardus, the pioneer of cast-iron architecture, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Its five-story facade, modeled on Venice’s late-13th-century Palazzo Veladramini, has long made it a stop for people who notice architecture; now it is set to become a destination for people who notice agnolotti seams and dough texture.

Pasta sits at the center of the concept. EVÈNTO describes itself as combining authentic Italian culinary classes with entertainment, and its public-facing pitch calls it “a party where you happen to make pasta (or pizza).” A typical public class includes filled pasta making at about $123 per person, a price point that puts the experience in the realm of a night out, not just a lesson.

Chef and co-founder Andrea Belfiore gives the operation its personal backbone. He grew up in Ancona, Italy, and learned to cook on Sunday afternoons with his grandmother, a family rhythm that shaped the company’s identity around tradition as much as technique. Belfiore founded EVÈNTO to offer culinary experiences and classes rooted in family traditions and his own creative approach. Sam Akiba, who came from a tech background, joined the business two years ago and helped steer it from a catering-and-classes setup into a more established hospitality operation.

The numbers show how much the idea has grown already. The team is running about 25 classes a month, with weekend public events for up to 40 people and corporate sessions during the week. Italia Like Locals LLC was filed in New York State on July 23, 2020, with Andrea Belfiore listed as process contact and Samuel Akiba as registered agent. In Tribeca, the move reads as more than a lease change: it is another sign that pasta culture is becoming a destination experience, with the historic setting now part of the draw.