Basta Executive Chef Franco Shares Insight on Opening Sister Restaurant Bettola on LIVE
Basta Executive Chef Franco Shares Insight on Opening Sister Restaurant Bettola on LIVE
As head chef of Pawtuxet Village’s Basta Restaurant and Rolfe Square’s new Bettola, Franco speaks about how he manages two very different styles of dining.
“With two restaurants, we’ve had the opportunity to build a great team. I myself float back and forth between both locations. When you get into volume and busy restaurants, organization is key,” says Franco.
Having been in Pawtuxet Village for eight years, Basta serves authentic Italian cuisine in an upscale environment. Franco caters to guests who are looking for an approachable fine dining experience with traditional tastes.
“Basta itself is a unique dining experience. It is an elegant atmosphere, it’s very much a big city vibe when you come in, and the food is excellent. It is a scratch kitchen. We work to make things modern, but classic,” says Franco.
For Valentine’s Day, Basta is capitalizing on their romantic ambiance and serving week-long specials and decorating the restaurant with a stunning display of 1,000 roses hanging from the ceiling. “We have a night of thousand roses, which will be run for four nights. We will have entertainment every night along with dinner specials,” says Franco.
Chef Franco truly enjoys the craft of making a perfect pizza, and has gone through the necessary ropes for Basta to be a certified VPN, or Vera Pizza Napoletana establishment, “We have to stay within the guidelines of VPN, which governs pizza culture. They can be strict about what we put on the pizza, how we cook the pizza, and how we stretch the dough. They oversee everyone opening up Neapolitan style pizzerias. Pizza to people in Italy and Naples is a huge part of the culture, and they want to preserve that,” says Franco.
Bettola, Basta’s sister restaurant recently opened its doors in Cranston’s Rolfe Square. A change of pace from Basta’s refined style, Bettola offers a comfortable family atmosphere. Modeled after an old school pizza parlor, but using high-quality ingredients that speak to guests.
“Bettola was the reimagined take on the classic pizzeria, and rejuvenate the old school design. Of course, we are Italian comfort food. Very simple, nothing intimidating for families and big parties, as well as lunch,” says Franco.
The pizza at Bettola will be a bit different than the style of pizza from Basta, more of a hybrid between Neapolitan and Brooklyn style, “We tested thirty or forty different recipes to get to this one, for Bettola.”
Whether fine dining or casual comfort eats, both Basta and Bettola are shining in Cranston. Click here and here for reservations and full menus.