IN THE KITCHEN Paul Katsarikas has been cooking Italian dishes and making his own pasta for 40 years, the last 29 at Bella Costa Ristorante in Framingham. The restaurant is known as a cozy place for date nights, get-togethers, and rustic Italian meals.

Katsarikas brought in a rotating series of pianists a few years ago, because he wanted to hear music while he worked. “I tried to create a little atmosphere, a homey atmosphere,” he said. “And a good quality of food.”