Our Team
Chef Jennifer Basanavage
Chef Jennifer Basanavage has over 30 years of restaurant experience, starting as a hostess at Bice Washington DC. Working there with Fabio Trabocchi ignited a lifelong passion for cooking.
After getting her feet wet in DC, Jennifer returned to her hometown to learn from Nunzio Patruno at South Street’s Monte Carlo Living Room. From there, she worked in the nationally renowned kitchens at Savona, Lacroix, Le Mas Perrier, and Washington Square, among others.
Her dedication to learning new techniques led Jennifer to stage at other restaurants as vacations. She has spent time in the kitchens of Le Bernardin, Bouchon, and Fat Duck.
When she’s not working for fun, she is home with her family– partner and fellow chef, Phil, their karate loving daughter, Zofia, and her rescue dogs, Wolfgang, Aloyisious, and Josie, as well as at least one or two foster dogs.
In our kitchen, Jennifer’s creativity is supported by an incredibly passionate and loyal team as well as Gunther, a yodelling dill pickle. She strives to create an atmosphere of support and continuous learning.
A true passion for Chef Jennifer is to give back to the community. Bella Trattoria utilizes local ingredients from community members. It is important to the Chef to participate in events such as the Crush Cancer Wine and Dine, and the Dine and Donate events that support community causes. An important lesson we learned through the recent pandemic is that communities must support each other.