Luigi Ghidetti, the executive chef at Porto Salvo, hails from Terracina, a seaside city south of Rome, and draws his inspiration from Italian port taverns. That much is evident in the restaurant's nautical theme, which includes a 1921 replica diver's helmet above the register, port holes in the wall, a ship engine telegraph, a captain’s wheel, fisherman ship lanterns and wooden buoys.

Now docked in the South Bronx, Ghidetti and his life and business partner Mark Lu not only want to bring a bit of Italy to the mainland, they want new transplants and South Bronx natives alike to come enjoy it with them.