F&J Pine Restaurant

About Us

Throughout his youth in Calabria, Francesco Bastone grew up in a large family that shared hearty meals made with vegetables from their garden. Taking their mother’s recipes, he and his younger brother packed up and moved to America. Francesco and Giovanni saved their money with the dream of opening an Italian restaurant that would serve family-style food like they had enjoyed and cooked back home. In 1969 Francesco and Giovanni opened a storefront restaurant in the Bronx where a saloon once stood. Unable to afford a new sign, the name “The Pine” stuck. As word about Francesco’s cooking continued to spread, The Pine Restaurant was transformed from the Bronx’s “best kept secret,” to the landmark restaurant it is today. The rest, as they say, is history.