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.