Franco is known in hushed circles as the Pasta Nazi, รก la Seinfeld, an irascible, moody genius who doesn't take crap or special requests. You want extra cheese? Bring your own. Trust that his pasta is good the way he makes it. Countless celebrities think so, too. There they are, pictured with their arms around him in photos plastered all over his food-court counter, where everything is cooked to order in individual saucepans over real burners. Taste his linguini with clams, and you'll realize Franco deserves the kind of respect he demands. Unfortunately, these days, Franco is usually a no-show. He's semi-retired, having handed the reins to a woman half his age. When you love him like we do, you'll miss the yelling, the scornful stares and the possibility that he just might scream, “NO PASTA FOR YOU!” to some poor, unsuspecting schlub.
