Stratford's Chef Barone loves what he does

-He's at his own restaurant, in many grocery aisles and possibly very soon on your TV screen, doing what he loves to do-

Not that long ago, most of us didn't think twice about the chef who cooked our meal at our favorite restaurant. But, today food has become such a passion that we want to know who's in the kitchen. Top chefs are treated like rock stars and most of them have their fingers in a lot a pies, from churning out cookbooks to starring in their own TV shows.

One local, young chef in Stratford is carving out his own culinary niche. At 27, Biagio Barone, a friendly, dark-haired man with black-rimmed glasses, a little reminiscent of Buddy Holly, and a hint of a five o'clock shadow, has turned his dad's former pizza place into a

dining destination, Biagio's Osteria. Located in a shopping plaza off the Merritt Parkway, fans of his southern Italian-style cooking come not only from Stratford and nearby Shelton, but as far away as Greenwich and Fairfield, he said. His customers, he said, are "passionate people who love to cook" and appreciate that he does things a little differently.

"People want to see the chef and interact," he said. "It's nice to come out [from the kitchen], to see their faces. That gives me energy to come back tomorrow.

"I love watching people's eyes," he said, or hearing a compliment on his food. "When someone had a beautiful meal and says, 'Biagio, it was unbelievable,' that makes those 14-hour days worthwhile." At a recent wine dinner,

Barone's talent as a chef was evident in each course. Squiggles of balsamic vinegar and colorful dabs of sauces added to the fresh appeal of each carefully plated dish, from crispy crepes stuffed with spinach and mushrooms to towers of baked scallops topped with angel hair pasta. "We make our own pasta and cannoli in house," he said. "Once summer comes, we buy local, organic foods — fresh tomatoes, zucchini, basil."

Barone comes from a family of restaurateurs, he said. He learned his craft from his grandmother who would often take him to Italy to cook.

"That was the best," he said. "Every day there was a four- or five-course meal with family all around the table." The restaurant started about four years ago after his dad, Enrico, retired from the pizza business in a space that seated 20 people. Barone has since added an atrium for dining and now has room for 90 guests. "My dad is my inspiration. He's the backbone," Barone said, even though his father's cooking style is more "old school" and he sometimes gives his son a hard time about his innovative cooking.

"I love rustic stuff," said Barone who plans on adding a formaggio bar, popular in Italy, serving cheese, figs and marmalades. In Italy, he said, restaurants are more relaxed than here, offering simple food, but with wonderful flavors. "I've noticed people love that trend," he said.

At the wine dinner, one guest came from Floral Park, N.Y., while another flew in from California. The 10 guests gave the five-course meal, each dish paired with an Italian wine, a big thumbs up. "I come back any chance I get," said Jim Hunt, of Manhattan Beach, Calif., who was in town visiting friends.

Brian Diehl and Kimberly McCarthy, both of Shelton, were celebrating a five-year dating anniversary with their first wine dinner.

"I eat out a lot and this is by far the best [place]," said Diehl. "The worst thing here is pretty good."

Guests seem to enjoy his sauce so much that a year and a half ago, Barone introduced his own line of pasta and sauces, made with San Marzano tomatoes from Italy and bottled in Hamden. The sauce is in more than 2,000 markets, he said, including Stop & Shop and Whole Foods, and retails for $5.99. (The pasta is $3.29 a bag.) At the Stop & Shop in Shelton, his sauce is on a shelf right above Emeril's. And, recently, Barone said, he taped a pilot for a shot at his own cooking show, which included his dad and his nieces and nephews in the kitchen with him. Barone thinks a show including kids is a good idea because they talk about food just like the grown-ups.

"Nine-year-olds are watching the Food Network," he said with a smile. "These kids talk about food passionately."

He's still waiting for a green light, but in the meantime, Barone isn't sitting still. All the hard work is fine with him.

"Sometimes I get burned out and then I concentrate on the pan and me and it calms me down," he said. "I tell my dad, 'I'm glad I am where I am.' "

Biagio's Osteria, 88 Ryder's Landing, Stratford, serves lunch Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and dinner seven days a week from 4 to 11 p.m., Sundays from 4 to 10 p.m. Dinner entrees range from $19 to $32; appetizers from $8 to $16. Call 375-9071 for reservations or visit www.biagiososteria.com.

Zuppa Di Pesce cup olive oil

1 lb. squid, cleaned and cut into -inch rings (about 1 lb. when cleaned) cup dry white wine

2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf Italian parsley

Pinch of salt

2 cups water

1 lb. small hard-shell clams or cockles, soaked in cool water for 30 minutes

1 lb. jumbo shrimp and/or lobster meat 4 slices coarse country bread, toasted and rubbed on one side with a garlic clove

2 tablespoons butter, optional

1 lb. trofie (short, twisted pasta)

1 jar Di Biagio Fra Diavolo Sauce

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 1tablespoon of salt and 1/8 cup of olive oil to the water. Once brought to the boil, add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 10 to 15 minutes. Drain.

In a large saucepan over medium heat, saut the shellfish in the olive oil for five minutes on high heat. Add the wine and simmer for one minute longer. Add Di Biagio Fra Diavolo jar, parsley and salt. Cook until the juices evaporate, about 10 minutes longer. Add the pasta to the sauce pan. Mix well with the sauce then plate and serve.