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Inside the newly renovated Francoluigi’s Pizzeria, 13th and Tasker streets, hangs a familiar portrait with a not-so-common addition.
In the painting, The Three Tenors — Pl�cido Domingo, Jos� Carreras and Luciano Pavarotti — are pictured belting their hearts out, with mouths wide open and hands raised to the sky. The presence of these operatic powerhouses is accentuated by a fourth friend.
Taking a proud stance next to the legends is local boy Franco Borda, the restaurateur who shares their passion for the sung word (even if he’s never actually performed with the trio). At the advice of family and peers, the fine-food fanatic and crooner has taken his musical tastes to the next level by releasing his own CD and renaming his adjacent establishment the High Note Café (formerly the Pastaria). The latter, the former resident of 10th and Tasker said, is in tribute to Pavarotti, a man known for hitting those difficult pitches.
"Pavarotti has done to opera what Emeril [Lagasse] has done to cooking," Borda said inside his restaurant last week.
The cafe seats 60 and is chock-full of aria flavor. Photos of the famous and not-so-famous cover almost every inch of wall space and the sleeves of old records purchased by Borda (Mario Lanza, Anna Moffo and Cesare Valletti, to name a few) act as a fitting border. The most noteworthy aspect of the restaurant is a stage where talents of all ages are showcased every night.
As his restaurant expanded in popularity, Borda had the option to purchase the neighboring building, but then realized his 12-year-old establishment "would lose the ambiance," he said. "It would be just another big restaurant in South Philly."
Even though his restaurant isn’t getting bigger, Borda continues adding to the eatery’s dinner-and-a-show theme. Every night, the singing chef emerges from the kitchen in his stained apron to sing a spell, including the most requested "O sole mio" and "Nessun dorma" (available on the CD).
"Opera’s the Rolls-Royce of music," the 45-year-old said. "The biggest thing I get out of opera is it’s an art in itself. You can’t hide behind opera. You either have it or you don’t."
Just as impressive as Borda hitting the high note in "O sole mio" are the crooners that have graced his BYOB’s stage. After filling their bellies with dishes named for an opera theme, stars like James Darren and Al Martino have given impromptu performances.
"These guys actually had dinner, then got up and sang — and these guys don’t sing at restaurants," Borda said.
However, showcasing local talent has always been the tenor’s goal. Students from such institutions as Temple University and the Lyric Opera Theater & Workshop, 1608 S. Broad St., possess voices that tend to blow away the crowds — and Borda. These students work the room in more ways than one, since some are servers.
"We’re like a diving board … for a lot of singers," he said. "You can’t sit home and sing in front of a mirror forever. You’re spending thousands of dollars on voice lessons."
Thursday’s open-mic night draws in the crowds, but Borda ensures it is anything but hokey karaoke.
"We’re here for serious artists," he said. "If you’re not serious, we don’t want you to sing. We take the music seriously."
However, the budding on-stage performers are so enticing, Borda added, audiences can’t seem to leave their seats. Of course, the chef’s edible creations also play their part. A popular dish is the pollo Puccini (named after the Italian composer) made with chicken breast, jumbo shrimp, portobello mushrooms, farafalle pasta and a Marsala wine-blush sauce.
High Note’s patrons also can’t seem to stay away from the core ‘ngrato (a Neopolitan song meaning "ungrateful heart") that includes homemade gnocchi, scallops, lump crabmeat and spinach in a vodka-blush sauce.
Sorry, pizzas are sold next door.
The food connoisseur, who began Borda’s Pizza at Seventh and Federal streets in the early 1980s before cofounding Franco and Luigi’s (which became Francoluigi’s in December 2005) a few years later, aims to franchise his café idea.
"We hope to have a High Note Café in most cities, where you can seek out local talent like we do here and give them a place to perform," he said. "We give them confidence. Before you know it, they go to an audition [in front of] 10, 15 people. They just feel like they’re at the restaurant, and they sing their best."
Borda also is toying with the idea of a scholarship that would go to local vocal-arts students. In the meantime, he is glad to invite violinists, saxophonists, trumpet and accordion players to his stage, as well. Operas are held each month, including "La Traviata" April 24.
The singer/cook may be living out both his passions, but the new CD is a bonus, even though this High School for the Creative and Performing Arts grad wanted to be an actor as a youngster. For 25 years, he received vocal training and, while he stayed in the food business, his love of opera never diminished.
Rather than being work-intensive, the CD, named "Franco — Philly’s Singing Chef," was a labor of love, taking two years to complete, Borda said. A "singing chef" video also is in the works, as is an upstairs room for private parties.
"I’m in the food business, where I can sing with no care," he said, "where [opera singers] have to be on every day. They’re singing professionally. I kind of enjoy not having that weight on my shoulders. The weight I have is making sure you enjoy my food."
Borda credits his well-oiled ship to Chef Sammy and General Manager Nick Apadula. His wife of 13 years, Teresa, and children — Anthony, 10, and Maria, 11– also give support.
Borda’s CD is available at his establishment and it’s this very place the singer will never leave.
"The best death for me would be at 85 years old at that balcony, eating a bowl of mussels, hitting a high note with a bottle of my favorite wine," he said with a hearty laugh.
