News & Reviews
Primo Bacio celebrates opening in Wyncote
July 23, 2008
By Paul Nasella
Times Chronicle
Everyone remembers their first kiss.
Located at the base of building one of the Towers at Wyncote, it is easy to say Franco Federico will have a hard time ever forgetting his as he recently opened his latest restaurant, Primo Bacio, or "first kiss" in Italian, July. 16.
Easily found at the site of the former Plate restaurant, which closed its doors in October 2007, Primo Bacio is Federico's first location in Cheltenham Township and fourth in Montgomery County. Federico said he received a call from a tenant about the restaurant after its closure and executive chef and restaurant Webmaster Ben Goldberg said when it was first obtained, the place was devoid of life, citing a lack of artwork and linens as well as the fountain not working.
But after many weeks of hard work and with the help of Federico's magic touch, once inside, patrons are now surrounded by bold colors, fine art and soft lights. Whether seated inside at the spacious bar, comfortable booths or outside at a table on the patio, one can hear the sounds of soft jazz, take in the sight of a relaxing fountain and bask in the glow of warm sunshine - each a testament to Federico's undying love and devotion to his art.
"Whatever you see inside was done by me," Federico said. "This is not a job; it's a
pleasure I come to ... I always had it in me, it had to be my blood."
Federico added that Primo Bacio, the 19th restaurant he's opened since coming to America 28 years ago, will stand as the crown jewel of his restaurant empire.
"When I saw it, I knew it could be the first kiss restaurant," Federico said. "I knew it. I just knew it."
Primo Bacio is also a presentation of the entire Federico family as every member is involved and it's even dedicated to his wife, Yvonne, which comes as no surprise as his Ariana's Ristorante, in North Wales:, and Giuliano's, in Horsham, are named after each of his children.
"She's been putting up with me for 27 years and gave me two of the most beautiful children a father could wish for," Federico said of his wife.
Primo Bacio's first official day of business was July 21 and the newly opened seven-days-a-week establishment offers room service in which residents can order their meals from their apartment, personalized 9-inch brick oven gourmet pizzas, nine different kinds of salads, wraps and off site catering. Whether looking for a good meal or just a small snack, Gene Kolber, of Kolber Marketing Group of Willow Grove, who has been promoting Primo Bacio, says Federico aims to please.
"I think what's happening is Franco is trying to please all different age demographics - from those who are looking for fine dining to those who want a light snack," Kolber said.In honor of the grand opening, for example, Federico offered residents of the Towers special incentives last week, including an open house party in each building each night starting on Thursday through Saturday as well as gift cards for $10 off meals:
"This is my next chapter - this is a challenge I love to take," said Federico, who also owns and operates FountainSide in Horsham with his older brother, Mario. "This is my home... you can ask my customers, I know them by name. I'm not just the other restaurant - I'm Franco - I am the guy that makes them happy. I want them to say `wow' and that's what they say - `wow. "'
Primo Bacio:
A new, tasty slice of Italy close to Hill
February 26, 2009
by LEN LEAR
Chestnut Hill Local
It has never happened to me before. Within a period of a few weeks, I received a hand-written letter, a phone call and an email from three different people who did not appear to know each other, all urging me to visit and write about Primo Bacio, an Italian restaurant that opened recently in The Towers at Wyncote (formerly the Cedarbrook Apartments, Route 309 & Greenwood Avenue), Building One, just a few minutes from Chestnut Hill on the suburban side of Cheltenham Avenue.
First came the hand-written letter from James E. Barrett, of Wyndmoor. (Hand-written letters have become so rare in these internet-dominated times that I may try to sell Barrett’s letter on eBay or to a museum.) “Linda (his companion) and I have dined there three times so far and enjoyed it,” wrote Barrett in part. “The Italian-style food is very good … and the desserts are yummy … ”
Then came an email from Bob and Donna Smith of Chestnut Hill, who wrote, “My wife and I recently dined at Primo Bacio. We thought the food was superb and thought maybe you would do an article in the Local … (The owner) also has other places in Horsham and Montgomeryville. We have dined at the one in Montgomeryville (Ariana’s) numerous times, as we used to live there 11 years ago before moving to Chestnut Hill.”
Weeks later I received a phone call from Steve Segal, an accountant/investment banker with offices in Jenkintown whom we have known for about 45 years but who had previously recommended restaurants only about two times in all those years. “You have to eat at Primo Bacio,” he insisted. “We absolutely love the food and the ambience; prices are reasonable, and the owner could not be nicer. We have been back several times, bringing a bunch of friends, and every time has been great.”
As a result of these suggestions, I engaged in a little scholarly research and found out that Franco Federico, 48, who works seven days a week and has not had a vacation in three years, opened Primo Bacio last July in the location that had been vacant since its former resident, Plate, closed in October, 2007. The huge venue seats about 200, including a spacious bar and plush banquettes, not counting an outdoor patio which can seat dozens more. There are linens and fresh flowers on the tables, recessed lighting and beautiful Italian music in the background.
Owner Franco Federico has opened 19 restaurants since coming to the U.S. and still has four, the latest of which is the excellent Primo Bacio.
A native of Calabria, Italy, and former industrial chemist who is used to experimenting with combinations of compounds in a laboratory, Franco came to the U.S. 29 years ago and has opened 19 restaurants during that time. (One was the outstanding Marcello’s in the Chesterbrook Shopping Center, where we ate numerous times in the 1990s but which was then destroyed by fire.)
All others have been sold except for Primo Bacio (“First Kiss” in Italian, which is dedicated to his wife, Yvonne) and three others which Franco still owns — Fountainside, a pizza place with a wood-burning oven, and Giuliano’s (named for Franco’s son), both in Horsham, and the 16-year-old Ariana’s Ristorante (named for Franco’s daughter) in Montgomeryville.
The name “Fountainside” came from a time when Franco was walking with his then-five-year-old daughter (she is now 18) through the back streets of Rome when the hot, tired and thirsty pair came upon the world-famous Trevi Fountain, into which tourists throw coins to assure their return. “I vowed then,” he said, “that when I opened my next restaurant, I would call it Fountainside to pay tribute to this marvelous fountain and the feelings it evoked.”
Anthony Bourdain, famed TV chef, writes in his book, Kitchen Confidential, that diners should always order “specials” in a restaurant that offers them. “There’s a reason why they are called specials,” he insists. I mention this because the two special appetizers we tried at Primo Bacio truly were — a sublime lasagne with Bolognese sauce and a seafood combination with shallots and a white wine reduction in puff pastry. Delicioso!
Entrees are ample and come with a large house salad, so appetizers are not really necessary. (We wound up with substantial leftovers.) A filet of salmon was perfectly baked with a divine pomegranate, molasses and mustard glace ($23) and served with a healthy portion of al dente vegetables, and an entrée of shrimp, scallops and jumbo lump crab was sautéed in another first-rate (pepper vodka cream) sauce, served over fettucine ($25). If you have room left, you must have one of the desserts from Italy, like the pineapple ripieno sorbetto in a pineapple shell or the lemon gelato with limoncello. Very refreshing.
In my view, the only worm in the apple is the weak selection of wines by the glass. Nowadays there are enough good wines in the $8 to $12 range in wine stores (even in Pennsylvania with the “Chairman’s Selections”) to enable a mid-scale restaurant to offer a good selection at reasonable prices. The list at Primo Bacio needs work.
The executive chef at Primo Bacio, Benjamin Goldberg (not a typical Calabrian name), 46, is a second-generation American who was born in Olney and grew up in Levittown. Goldberg is a graduate of the Art Institute of Philadelphia who was unable to land a job in the commercial art field after graduation. Out of desperation, he took a job as a dishwasher/cook at Claire’s Cuisine and Café in Pennington, NJ, just to be able to pay the rent, but he fell in love with cooking and two years later enrolled in the Restaurant School of Philadelphia.
After graduation, Goldberg worked for numerous restaurants in the Delaware Valley and has been with Franco for 10 years. In his “spare time” (chefs don’t really have any), the father of three runs a web site, www.chefben.com, where he answers questions about cooking and the restaurant industry and offers some of his favorite recipes. “You absolutely have to have passion about food,” said Goldberg, “or there is no way you could do this work.”
Primo Bacio serves lunch and dinner seven days a week. There is also a bar menu (the bar is called Marilyn’s Bar in honor of Marilyn Monroe, obviously a favorite of Franco’s) with lots of great finger foods such as nachos ($8), burgers ($8), chicken wings ($6 for a dozen), nine-inch hand-tossed pizzas ($7.50), mozzarella sticks with marinara sauce ($5), a raw bar, etc.
Primo Bacio also does a brisk business in takeout gourmet pizzas, calzones and strombolis. It can be accessed from either Route 309 or Easton Road, turning into the complex at Greenwood Avenue.
For more information, takeout orders or reservations, call 215-884-2220 or visit www.primobacioristorante.com