VOL.11, No. 10 October 1995

Wileys World Pasta Co.

By Marguerite Armstrong

When you stroll into Wiley's World, ambiance may not be the first word to come to mind. There is a bare bones simple charm though. Deep green geranium plants grow in clay pots upon two of the four tables. Vibrant philodendrons spring from atop the shelves and counters. The place is healthy looking and fresh smelling. After all, organic pasta is what Wiley's World Pasta Company is about.
Two years ago Terry Wileys began supplying fresh organic pasta to businesses; he opened the restaurant about four months ago right on the premises where his noodling takes place.
It's like watching a one-man band to see Terry leave his pasta machine while it extrudes thin strands of flour, egg, and water mixture (eggless varieties also), whips around the counter to a table where newly -arrived guests are seated, hands them a menu and says he'll be right back. Before the proprietor returns he finishes a luncheon plate for two more guests, cuts off the pasta maker, scans the guests at the tables to see how their meals are progressing, and fill water glasses for your table. In-between moments Terry swabs tables, writes checks , and yes, is chief bottle-washer.
What's happening is that each morning in addition to his restaurant- Terry makes and packages pasta for afternoon delivery to retail and commercial accounts. All the while, with his trademark smile, he manages to appear unhurried and friendly.
"Innovative " is the word for Wiley's pasta and sauce offerings. A dinner may "mix and match" from our four sauces and four pastas to individual taste. In addition there's spaghetti with marinara sauce, plus kids' portion plates. Tip: see, smell and taste the fettuccine Alfredo, to which can be added bay shrimp.
One recent noontime ravioli was a friend's choice - a good one it was. She chose the cheese and spinach pasta with marinara sauce, topped with parmesan cheese and black olives. nicely arranged on the plate were two slices of local bakery bread, a crisp lettuce salad with in-season tomatoes and a side-cup of poppy seed and red onion dressing. The dressing's flavor was so pleasant, we inquired if it were available bottled, and were pleased to hear that Terry is working on it.
Choosing the pasta and sauce "mix and match" was fun. Mine was roasted eggplant, flavored with fresh dill, red onions and tomato give a twist of surprise to the fresh, organic linguine.
Great ravioli dishes are a pretty rare treat and Wiley's World offers four including chicken ravioli with roasted garlic and fresh basil and unique smoked salmon ravioli in a delicious vegetable cream sauce. Ravioli, Terry admits, is labor-intensive. At Wiley's World raviolis and the fettuccine Alfredo are in an upper (yet modest ) $6.00 price range. Most of the other selections, fettuccine, linguine, spaghetti, angle hair pasta, on the Daily Specials, are $5.25 The omelet pasta, mushrooms, onions and feta is appealing.
For the last sixteen years, since leaving San Francisco, Terry Wiley has apprenticed at noted Ashland restaurants such as Primavera, Geppettos, Jackson House, Munchies. After two years working for an Ashland pasta company, Teryy found making his "dream pasta" slow going. He'd envisioned organic pasta from grain grown with out pesticides. So, to make the dream come true, Terry established his own company with a conviction that consumers would see the value of earth-friendly products.
While eggless pasta is available, when Wiley's World recipes call for eggs, they are gotten from Binghams' Farm in Central Point, where chickens are uncaged and chemical free. Teryy's enthusiasm for promulgating products that protect the earth is positively infectious.
Asked about the vagaries and vicissitude of retail reality, Terry offers a wide smile and says: "The business is evolving." He welcomes the prospect that his wife Julie will be able to reduce her hours as a nurse and become more active in this endeavor. Otherwise in the future, "Foccacia is something we might try, along with the bagels, and more of the natural sodas. We already serve organic Purvian coffee. And maybe Thai food; I love to cook Thai ." he says.