Porto Salvo, featured by BronxNet Community Television

When I met Luigi Ghidetti & Mark Lu for the first time, they were making culinary magic out of their first eatery in East Harlem, out of a storefront that had no gas stove but an electric hotplate. I thought to myself, wow, what gastronomic wonder would find its way to my plate if they had a proper stove. Well, my fanciful musing was answered when they, along with two other partners, opened Anchor Wine Bar on 143rd Street and Broadway a few years back, spotlighting classic Italian dishes with a matching list of appropriately curated wine selection to boot. Now Luigi and Mark have opened their very own place in the Melrose section of the Bronx on 161st Street, with the nautically appointed Porto Salvo. A safe harbor for Bronx foodies and for anyone wishing to savor some of the best seafood-centric Southern Italian dishes in the City, Porto Salvo delivers nostalgic and traditional Italian plates from Luigi’s childhood, home port town of Terracina, just South of Rome. Joining a BronxNet Television shoot that will feature Porto Salvo in early November, I was lucking to sample a good many of their finest plates and all I have to say is…WOW. Hopefully, you can see what I mean in the following stills taken from last night’s shoot….