Lovers
of food and film are generally fans of Big
Night, the 1996 film in which Tony Shalhoub and Stanley Tucci play
Italian-American brothers who run a sad, little restaurant. Shalhoub plays
Primo, a master chef who accuses a more successful restaurant of “rape of
cuisine!” Tucci’s Secondo appreciates his older sibling’s artistry, but wants
to make a buck. They put on an unimaginable feast in a last-ditch effort to
draw customers and save the restaurant.
Basta
Pasta owner Greg Gibbardo says Big Night was a big influence on his decision to start his own restaurant. Indeed,
Gibbardo offers a “Big Night” menu a few times a month. I think it would be
more accurate to say Gibbardo was inspired than influenced by the movie,
though.
Basta
Pasta is unique locally in serving mostly its own, homemade pasta. Other
restaurants serve local pastas, or stuff a local pasta for ravioli, but here
the spaghetti, linguini, spinach linguini, and penne rigata are all made fresh,
three times per week. The difference with fresh is enormous, and won’t be to
everyone’s liking. Fresh pasta has more texture and richer flavor than dried.
Rather than being filler for a dominant sauce, the pasta itself is the main
attraction.
Gibbardo
knows this, and his dishes stay simple to keep the spotlight on the pasta. His
original concept was a Chinese restaurant serving Italian food, and you can see
a comparison between the fresh fare at Basta Pasta and that of noodle shops
like Ming’s and K.C. Tea & Noodle.
As
chichi as fresh pasta might seem, Basta Pasta is actually a simple, damned
inexpensive restaurant. A generous portion of thick spaghetti is $5.95 at lunch
or $6.95 at dinner with a salad (add a buck for a baked meatball or sausage
from Pernie’s). Gibbardo’s tomato and basil marinara sauce is slightly chunky
and half way to sweet (I don’t like sauces that are too sweet and do like
this). Try to spend money and you’re pretty much out of luck; the menu tops out
at $12.95 for linguini with salmon and asparagus, delicious and simple with a
lemon-orange butter. And that’s including salad and bread.
For
starters you can go with one of several salads. The Mediterranean dolce has
field greens, a decent dressing, and walnuts and dried cranberries
($3.95/$6.95). The mandarin oranges and canned pineapple made it a bit sweet
for my taste. There are also occasional appetizer specials. I loved baby
artichokes with melted butter (not first-date fare). Focaccia bruschetta was
fine if unspectacular.
At
lunch, no pasta dish is more than $7.95 (Baker Street bread is gratis). There
are also several salads and grilled panini sandwiches. The panini are cooked on
Gibbardo’s “Georgio Formani,” and come with a side of marinara sauce. My group
tried grilled eggplant and mozzarella, as well as portabello with spinach and
provolone ($6.95 each). The sandwiches were generous, with nice texture, but did
need the sauce for zip.
Again,
Basta Pasta isn’t fancy. Bread comes with Country Crock rather than butter, and
pre-grated cheese sits on the tables. Oh, and I wish the gnocchi were homemade
(to match that lovely lemon-orange butter). But these are hollow complaints at
these prices.
The
atmosphere is simple, but it’s not a dive. Gibbardo’s own wood-burnings hang on
the walls, and it’s a comfortable place to hang. Meals don’t come too quickly,
but Gibbardo says he makes sure to get kids some food fast. I’ll try it with my
kids soon. His waitress is an ace. Basta Pasta has no liquor license, but
encourages you to bring your wine.
And
then there are the Big Nights. Not a complete re-creation of the absurdities in
the film, it is a seven-course meal for just $30. The baked, layered timbale
(Primo calls it a “timpano,” but Gibbardo uses “timbale”) is right out of the
film. Your next opportunities are June 18 and a Hawaiian-themed night on July
9.
Gibbardo
has Big Plans for the future, saying he’ll “turn this into Toronto,” with
strolling waiters, more specials, and fancier flourishes. But he’s started with
a clear concept and it’s a great value as it stands. If you know and love fresh
pasta, here it is. And if you don’t, you should at least find out the difference
for yourself.
Basta Pasta, 741 Monroe Avenue,
442-4599. Hours: Monday through Friday 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Monday through
Saturday 4:30-9 p.m.
Food
tip
Signs
of summer! Custard & Candy on Routes 5 and 20 in Bloomfield has become
Shark’s Custard & Candy. The new owners purchased the recipes and will
continue the tradition of making their own ice cream (and offering huge
servings). They have also expanded hours, and plan to remain open later in the
fall than the previous owner.
—
Michael Warren Thomas
Check
www.SavorLife.com for details on Michael’s broadcast schedule on WYSL 1040 AM.
This article appears in Jun 15-21, 2005.
