Cranston's Avvio Ristorante To Donate to Italian Red Cross for Earthquake Victims

CRANSTON, RI -- Until the Aug. 24 earthquake, the little town of Amatrice, Italy was world famous for its food, its cooks and for inventing the all'amatriciana tomato sauce recipe. So when a Cranston restaurant owner considered how best to help the victims of hard hit towns of Amtrice, Accumoli and Pescara del Tronto, the chef and the management naturally turned to food.

Avvio Ristorante is the newest restaurant in Cranston's popular Garden City Center and the latest brand created by Newport Restaurant Group. Chef Kevin DiLibero, who grew up in an Italian family in Gloucester, RI, said "do the right thing" has long been one of the kitchen's mottoes.

"After seeing the mass destruction," everyone's heart went out to the people, he said.

The restaurant also purchases a lot of food and ingredients from Italy. Specifically, he said, the olives, olive oil, prosciutto, cheeses, and San Marzano tomatoes. So do other ingredients, making the Italian growers something of partners.

"It means a lot to give back to the towns in need," he said. After talking ideas over with management, Avvio decided to join chefs worldwide by adding a special item to the menu, the pasta dish named after Amatrice.

Through Sept. 11, the restaurant will donate $3 to the Italian Red Cross for every dish of Bucatini all'Amatriciana sold.

"It's a good cause and helps people in need," he said.

According to the menu, the dish "features a rustic and hearty combination of pancetta, pepper, pecorino cheese, Pomodoro sauce, and bucatini pasta." Pancetta is similar to bacon, and bucatini is a thick pasta, cut with a hole in the center.

“While we are an Italian restaurant, many of us are also Italian-Americans, and this event hits close to home,” said DiLibero, culinary arts director at Newport Restaurant Group. “We are humbled and proud to join so many other chefs around the world to support those affected by this devastating act of nature.”

DiLibero started cooking after watching his mother prepare holiday dinners for 25 to 30 guests, he said. As he grew older, he appreciated the fact food makes people happy and decided to pursue a career in culinary arts. He studied at the Florida Culinary Institute and worked with a chef for 2 1/2 years before moving back to Rhode Island.

The restaurant is located at 90 Hillside Road, in Garden City Center.