A new Italian restaurant, Portobello’s, is slated to open in September in the space that was previously occupied by River Rock Tavern at 5 Main St. in Derby, CT. Derby resident and chef Dennis Basuljevic, whose family ran the former Fratelli’s Restaurant in Derby for more than a decade, is planning a soft opening in a few weeks.

Basuljevic, 35, is a self-taught cook who honed his skills with family chefs and working in several family-owned restaurants both here and in Pennsylvania. He served as head chef of Fratelli’s prior to the family closing the restaurant in 2021.