There are new faces and a new menu at what was formerly Bellini’s on Herritage Street near Airport Road.
Sal Longo of Tuscany, Italy, and Davida Bennardi of Bari, in Southern Italy on the Adriatic Sea, took over the restaurant on July 15 and named it Green Basil.
“I’ve been in the restaurant business over 30 years,” Longo said. His partner is a chef who has a master’s degree in culinary arts, he added.
The restaurant serves traditional Southern Italian food in a family atmosphere.
Longo said customers will be pleased with the quality of food. Several cheeses, olive oil, tomato sauce and pasta are imported from Italy. The pesto sauce is a specialty.
“Our goal is to give it some touch of Italy in this town,” Longo said.
Green Basil features an all-you-can-eat salad and pizza buffet for $6.95 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. With the purchase of an entrée, the salad bar costs $2.95 for all you can eat.
Specials run all day and include dishes such as baked ziti, Alfredo with chicken, meat lasagna and spaghetti with meatballs — all with salad.
Pizza can be ordered by the slice. Two slices and a drink are $5.
The restaurant features a full menu of dishes, as well.
“All our pasta dishes are made from scratch,” Longo said.
The restaurant seats about 200 people, including two banquet rooms that each seat up to 60 people.
Green Basil, 2918 N. Herritage St., is open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. For information, call 252-939-9333.
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Josh Bradshaw has been operating a plumbing business out of his native Deep Run for 10 years.
“I can see everywhere I’ve lived from the same spot,” he said, including from his business office, Josh Bradshaw Plumbing.
From fixing leaky pipes to putting in new fixtures, Bradshaw, 37, and his crew offer full residential and commercial plumbing services.
A 1994 graduate of South Lenoir High School, Bradshaw began working for the Deep Run Water Corporation, installing water meters and fixing water main breaks.
“That’s how I got my plumbing interest,” he said.
After five years, he began working under a licensed plumber in Greenville in order to obtain his own plumbing license.
“That’s where I actually learned the plumbing trade,” he said.
The journeymanship is a two-year process. In 2002, Bradshaw passed the N.C. State Board of Examiners test and became a licensed plumber.
While working, he had spent his weekends building up a business out of his home where he resides with his wife Kristy. Eventually, his home office became a nursery for his two children, Gracie, 6, and Jacob, 5.
So he opened up an office in Deep Run and now has six employees, all of which have been working for Bradshaw at least five years.
“We try to treat people the way we want to be treated,” he said. “… I think that’s our big selling point is we try to take care of our customers.”
Bradshaw said he attributes the years of success to God and his customers’ support.
“We’ve been blessed,” he said, “and we count our blessings that we’ve been open for 10 years.”
Josh Bradshaw Plumbing is open 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and on call for emergencies on weekends. For information, call 252-522-2986.
Margaret Fisher can be reached at 252-559-1082 or Margaret.Fisher@Kinston.com. Follow her on Twitter @MargaretFishr.
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Do you have a retail business or one that’s undergone a significant change? The Free Press would like to hear about it. Contact Margaret Fisher at 252-559-1082 or Margaret.Fisher@Kinston.com.