One of a Kind
Italian hospitality and exclusive food pairings commingle in West Midtown’s BASTONE
Adding to the assemblage of exceptional restaurants in the rapidly growing West Midtown, Bastone brings Atlantans their very own mozzarella bar featuring homemade pastas, craft cocktails and wine. Already famous for his establishments Grana and The White Bull, chef Pat Pascarella of The Porchetta Group is the brains behind this new dining concept that offers guests an array of mozzarella and salumi options to taste test.
“Our focus is on mozzarella and pasta dishes inspired by Campania, Abruzzo and Puglia,” says Pascarella. “We offer a robust mozzarella and salumi bar and tastings that include mozzarellas accompanied by boards of prosciutto, roasted artichoke, eggplant caponata and more.”
Described as simple but elevated, the menu also features seasonal small plates, salads and an evolving selection of pastas. As for the dining experience, Pascarella wants guests to feel as though they are on a holiday.
“I want it to feel like an all-day Aperitivo hour,” says Pascarella. “We want guests to be enjoying salumi and mozzarella while sipping on a spritz. Everything’s meant to be shared—guests can try a bunch of different dishes and create their own experiences that way, or leave that to us and we’ll make it really special.”
Beverage director Anthony Panzica depicts the drink program as a thoughtful roundup of cocktails that uses as many farm-sourced ingredients as possible.
“We love our boozy and stirred cocktails, but Bastone really celebrates those that are shaken and fresh,” says Panzica. “You don’t want to weigh down your palate when you’re knocking back mortadella and burrata. The spritz menu has a great selection too, with classics like the Aperol spritz and Italicus, alongside atypical ones like mezcal and grilled peach nectar, with lime, prosecco and soda.”
For the adventurous, Bastone-exclusive cocktail the Ace of Clubs—or better known as the pasta water martini—is a favorite among guests, consisting of gin, salted pasta water and a mozzarella ball.
Inside, Z-Space Design Inc. is responsible for the bright, clean and stimulating design, reflecting the charm of a chic Italian marketplace.
Says Pascarella, “I wanted guests to feel like they were being transported to a piazza in Italy—white marble, wood and tile accents and cured meats hanging above the mozzarella bar.”