Hillsborough Couple Opens New Italian Restaurant In Raritan

RARITAN, NJ — Tuesday is the grand opening of Hillsborough couple Joe Trani and Kari LaSpisa's newest Italian restaurant, Basilico.

Basilico opens at 46 W Somerset St. in Raritan and is serving authentic, made-from-scratch Italian cuisine straight from Trani's roots.

Trani moved when he was 7 to Ischia, an island off the coast of Naples, in Italy. There he went to culinary school, worked in restaurants in Italy and also opened two restaurants in Ischia.

Since coming back to America and placing roots in Hillsborough, Trani and LaSpisa have opened a number of successful Italian restaurants. But Raritan is going to be their long-term home, says LaSpisa.

"We really loved the town Raritan, such a cute, little quaint walking town. There are big changes coming to Raritan and it will soon be developed into something like Somerville and but with a small-town feel," said LaSpisa. "I love Raritan and wanted a walking town sort of feel. It is close to home. Living locally and having a business locally is the best way to make it work."

At Basilico, the couple will stick with their Italian roots serving up mostly authentic Italian food with some American-Italian influence.

The majority of the dishes will derive from Ischia.

"This food is a part of him, a part of his culture," said LaSpisa.

Basilico is BYOB and offers outdoor dining.

LaSpisa stressed that everything is fresh and made-from-scratch.

Check out the full menu below:

For more information on Basilico visit basilicoitaliankitchen.com or facebook.com/basilicoitalianrestaurant.

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