SPRINGFIELD – Compari’s Ristorante is a true family affair.

In the Boston Road location of the former Salvatore’s, the Basile family has started their own take on a classic Italian eatery.

Joe Basile explained his wife owns and redeveloped the building, while he is cooking and their two children both have responsibilities at the restaurant.

“We all involved,” he told Reminder Publications.

For Basile, operating a restaurant speaks to his passion for cooking. This is his second restaurant, having owned and operated one in West Springfield in the mid 1980s.

“I love to cook,” he said with a smile. “All the recipes are mine.”

Compari’s soft opening was in November and Basile has been fine-tuning his menu since then. Since his goal is to make his customers comfortable – the dining room is in soothing earth tones and is roomy – he has a tapas or “small plate” part of the menu.

“Not everyone wants a big meal,” he explained. The tapas menu features a wide selection from a cheese and meat selection to baby back ribs to grilled pizza and eggplant parm.

All of his dishes are from scratch and cooked to order. Even small details such as salad dressings are freshly made in the kitchen.

Basile offers specials every day but on his menu his entrees include chicken marsala, chicken francaise, penne and meatballs, puttanesca, stuffed shells and bone-in pork chops. There are also a wide variety of salads as well as several soups.

I tried Basile’s “Crazy Alfredo” that features sausage, chicken, roasted red peppers and capicola. Basile explained he adds a red wine to the traditional Alfredo sauce giving the dish, which was served over penne, an additional depth of flavor.

The meal was served with a crisp green salad with freshly made blue cheese dressing and warm rolls with a seasoned olive oil.

I greatly enjoyed it.

One aspect of Compari’s that is unique to the area is that it features live entertainment on Friday and Saturday evenings. Basile explained the dining room has been designed to easily create a dance floor.

The restaurant opens at 11:30 a.m. Monday through Saturday and at 10:30 a.m. on Sundays. For additional information go to http://www.comparis-ristorante.com/ or call 782-9968.