New S. Richland Ave. takeout eatery blends Italian and Spanish flavors
Basil & Cilantro Pizza & Tacos at 330 S. Richland Ave. in York blends traditional Italian flavors together with Spanish cooking at a new take-out
Nearly three decades ago, three men came to the United States from Italy and worked in the restaurant business, making pizzas for customers in York County.
Now they have started a new venture that fuses Italian and Spanish cuisine at a restaurant called Basil & Cilantro, located at 330 S. Richland Ave. in West Manchester Township.
Customers can order everything from pizzas, strombolis and subs to tacos, tortas and quesadillas at the takeout eatery next to the Bottoms Up Beverage beer distributor.
Owners Salvatore Faraone and Giovanni Faraone, who are cousins, and Salvatore Viola, the manager and a longtime friend, wanted to offer York County customers authentic food from both cuisines. They developed recipes with the help of Hispanic cooks.
Everything — the sauces, the pico de gallo and the guacamole, for instance — is made from scratch, and the food emphasizes bold flavors. They kept the menu small “to make the best food we can,” Salvatore Faraone said.
One of the popular selections is the grandma pie. It’s a Sicilian-style pizza made with a thick crust; mozzarella and Parmigiano cheeses; basil; and lines of sauce on top, Salvatore Viola said. The taste of the fresh ingredients shines in the rectangular pieces with a crunchy crust.
Customers craving Spanish food can try the birria tacos made with slow-cooked beef and Oaxaca cheese. The juicy, savory handhelds require napkins.
Faraone owns the beer distributor next door, and many customers speak Spanish. Patrons had been inquiring about when the eatery would open, he said.
Basil & Cilantro started serving customers a couple of weeks ago.
Dotty and Skip Schirmer of Codorus Township stopped by on a recent afternoon. They have been longtime customers at another restaurant Giovanni Faraone owns in Penn Township, and the couple said the food is good.
They came to support their friends in the new venture and tried the tacos asada.
“I would have offered you some, but you waited too long,” Skip Schirmer joked.
Many of their customers become family, Salvatore Faraone said.
The restaurant has received a good response since it opened, he said. Patrons who stopped by have returned.
In the future, the owners hope to open Basil & Cilantro franchises in southcentral Pennsylvania.
“Everything starts with an idea, right?” he said. “You can always dream — it doesn’t matter how old you are or how long you’ve been doing something.”
The business is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
Teresa Boeckel is a reporter for the York Daily Record, part of the USA TODAY NETWORK. Contact her at tboeckel@ydr.com.
Dining and Cooking