Plano South | July 2023

DINING FEATURE Covino’s Pasta & Pizza Locally owned Italian eatery has been serving Plano for over 3 decades A s a child growing up in New York, Joe Covino frequently visited his dad’s restaurant.

BY KAREN CHANEY

Parmesan for $2.50 and spaghetti with meatballs for $1.10. Even though his prices are dierent, he included many family recipes his dad served in his restaurant, some of which were passed down from his grandparents, who emigrated from Italy. Popular menu items are smoked chicken ravioli, chicken aristocrat, lasagna, chicken Parmesan, pizza, and spaghetti and meatballs. When ordering one of his favorite dishes, Covino goes to the mix-and- match menu section. He orders Arrabiata Spicy sauce, penne pasta and hot sausage. He said he had

He pictured himself working with his dad, Nick Covino, when he got older, but the elder Covino had dierent ideas for his son’s future. “He really didn’t want me to be in this business; he knows how crazy it is,” Covino said. “He always said, ‘Go to college; get your degree, then we’ll talk about it.’” Eventually, his dad got out of the restaurant business, and Covino earned a degree, took a job that required him to travel around the country and eventually ended up in Plano. At one point, he was

MENU HIGHLIGHTS Joe Covino picked the eatery's most popular dishes.

1 Chicken aristocrat ($21.95): Layer of chicken, eggplant and provolone cheese covered in made-to-order tomato cream sauce 2 Antipasta ($13.95): provolone cheese, salami, pepperoni, onion, green and red peppers, and green and black olives on a bed of lettuce with oil and vinegar 3 Abruzzi bread ($13.95) : spinach, provolone, pepperoni, and sausage rolled and baked inside dough and served with homemade marinara

“I LEARNED A LOT OF WAYS TO DEAL WITH PEOPLE LIKE MY DAD DID; HE WAS REALLY GOOD AT IT.” JOE COVINO, OWNER

his share of naysay- ers when he chose this location, but he had faith that he would prove the doubters wrong. “I always said if I do the right thing

unemployed and decided to make his childhood dream a reality. Although he wouldn’t be work- ing with his dad,

Discover the world’s most advanced technology for fat loss up to 40 BMI • Free Consult • Financing Available • Pain-Free Treatments Covino laughingly said customers enjoy asking whether they can order o his father’s 1950s menu, which he has displayed amid framed family photos. This menu features chicken he was able to follow in his footsteps. When he opened Covino’s Pasta & Pizza in 1990 in Plano, he tapped into the knowledge he gained during his childhood. “Being around my dad, by osmosis, I learned a lot of ways to deal with people like he did; he was really good at it,” Covino said.

for my customers, they’ll go out and say, ‘Hey, I found this neat little Italian restaurant; it’s in the corner of a shopping center; you wouldn’t know it was there if I didn’t tell you,’” he said. “Almost word for word people have done that over all these years.” Though this was not the career path Covino’s dad wanted him to follow, he was proud of his son’s achievement. “The rst time he came in, he sat in the back of the room, and you could see him beaming,” Covino said. “We were busy; he loved that.”

Plano resident Joe Covino opened Covino’s Pasta & Pizza in 1990.

PHOTOS BY KAREN CHANEYCOMMUNITY IMPACT

PARKER RD.

Covino’s Pasta & Pizza 3265 Independence Parkway, Plano 972-519-0345 www.covinos.com Hours: Mon. – Sat. 5 p.m. -9 p.m., Sun. 4 p.m. – 8 p.m.

PARK BLVD.

Wills on

Wheels

Let me help you create your will in the comfort of your home.

Call Now� Wills, Trusts, Probates

Mention this ad for a FREE 3D body scan valued at $300

www.VickiRatliffAttorney.com 972.824.0778 Principal Office: Richardson, Texas

6957 Plano Parkway, Ste 2400 | Plano, TX 75093 www.americanlasertherapies.com

Vicki S. Ratliff, Attorney

PLANO SOUTH EDITION • JULY 2023