MUSIC TO MENUS

By David Sota

According to songwriter Paul Marino, a good song and good food both start with a great concept. Over the past 35 years, he has made his living as a songwriter, producer, and performer. Recently he co-authored Spark Studios VBS 2022 which made it to #1 on the Kid’s Top 100 Albums and 63 on the All Genre’s Albums list. These past few years, Marino has taken that same inspiration he poured into his music into developing menus. “I love the creative process and have an entrepreneurial spirit,” said Marino. “I wanted to try something outside of music to use my creativity.”

In 2016 Marino ventured into his first restaurant concept and opened Red 7 Pizza. “I learned a lot about what it takes to open a restaurant. There are so many moving parts, from the food side to the business side. We made a lot of mistakes, especially in the early years, but we’ve learned a lot too,” Marino explained.

For the past few years Marino had been considering a new venture, a fusion of Italian and Southern fare and in 2020, opened Barino Italian Southern Eatery. “I built Barino from the ground up; from the name and the design of the logo to the interior, the lighting, and the furniture to the creation of most of the menu items. I spent a year coming up with the idea of blending Italian with flavors here in the South,” stated Marino. “I toured all over the country for years and became sort of a restaurant junkie, so when I started formulating ideas for a restaurant, I built it around a concept I would like with an inviting atmosphere.”

In December 2019, Marino began building out his vision in a building he acquired in the Columbia Arts District, just off the downtown square. He set out to create a restaurant with a menu that encompassed Italian items along with an Italian and Southern fusion. Some of the recipes came from family and some were born out of inspiration from traveling the country and various trips he took to Italy. In some ways, you can say he is passing down recipes from generations as well as his own family. Furthermore, Marino came up with many of his own creations along with wonderful recipes he has adapted from friends he met along the way.

PHOTO BY ROSS JAYNES VIUAL MEDIA CO.

Barino Italian Southern Eatery is a casual, fine-dining restaurant where nearly everything is made from scratch, from the house-made pasta, sauces, dressings, and desserts. “We use quality ingredients as well as locally grown produce as it is available. We even smoke our own brisket and pork,” exclaimed Marino. It is a labor of love and, for diners at Barino, they experience that love in the food and atmosphere. From their classic spaghetti with marinara and fettuccine alfredo to their signature brisket Marsala and marinara infused with house-made BBQ sauce and topped with pulled pork. Marino remarked, “People are loving the unique and interesting choices on our menu.”

Marino knows just like music, food is more fun and often much better when working with a team of chefs, cooks, and talented like-minded people. Marino commented, “One of the strengths for both Red 7 and Barino is our quality staff and excellent service to our customers. Great service is a byproduct of a team that loves their work. We focus diligently on providing an excellent work atmosphere and training each employee uniquely. We treat each other with politeness, kindness, and respect — and that gets passed on to our customers.”

PHOTO BY ROSS JAYNES VIUAL MEDIA CO.

PHOTO BY ROSS JAYNES VIUAL MEDIA CO.

By simply creating a great atmosphere and a quality dining experience, both Red 7 Pizza and Barino Italian Southern Eatery are community favorites in Columbia. Reservations for Barino Italian Southern Eatery can be made online or by calling (931) 505-8141. Buon Appetito Y’all!