MALTA - The summer season may be winding down on Saratoga Lake but BuonaSera is just getting started.
The Italian restaurant is the latest to open on the lake, which saw some culinary additions this summer, including Ugly Ice Cream and the rebranded Lago by Druthers.
Located in the former Nostalgia Ale House and Wine Bar on the south end of the lake, BuonaSera is owned by Jimmy and Danielle Hartwyk. The couple has previously owned several other establishments, most notably Biscotti Brothers Cafe and Saluti in Lake George.
At BuonaSera, the menu offers a mix of Italian-American standards, including veal ravioli, pan-seared scallops, and short ribs. The Hartwyks noted that BuonaSera is a scratch kitchen, everything from the bread to the mozzarella is made in-house. They also use specialty ravioli from Mangiamo in Saratoga Springs.
A former dive bar, the restaurant has been renovated, with updated bathrooms and a retiled kitchen.
The Gazette recently caught up with the Hartwyks about their plans for BuonaSera.
Q: What got you into the restaurant business?
Jimmy: I was always drawn to hard work and satisfaction. Every plate is an instant gratification. Sometimes it works for you, sometimes it works against you.
Q: What attracted you to this location?
Danielle: We were looking all over the Capital Region. Lake George is very seasonal. So we were looking outside of Lake George, because it’s hard to get once you leave Lake George, money-wise, it’s hard to get back in.
This opportunity presented itself and it just seemed there’s always been a restaurant here since maybe before the ‘70s so obviously people know that it’s here.
It needed a lot of work. We started leasing it in March and then we worked on it for about three months. We opened as soon as we could.
Q: How was your first summer here?
Danielle: It’s been good. Mainly locals, which is great. We joke that everybody lives down the street, and they just point which direction they live. It’s been a really warm reception. People are excited. There’s a lot of customers that were patrons of Panza’s on the Lake (which closed last year) . . . so I think they’re happy to have another Italian place to fill the void. It was part of the reason we knew we would probably be accepted and successful.
Q: So far, what have been your most popular dishes?
Jimmy: Scallops. That’s been a house favorite. People seem to really enjoy that. The chicken francese and the short rib, too.
The eggplant rigatoni, people love it. It’s one of our more popular dishes. One of the ravioli specials that we do a lot is shrimp luigi, it’s roasted garlic, cherry cream sauce with four-cheese ravioli with sauteed shrimp. That’s been very popular.
We’re doing a veal ravioli now, we’re doing surf and turf with pan-seared scallops with the ravioli and that seems to be doing very well.
Q: What have been some of the main challenges in opening?
Jimmy: Staffing is always an issue and we opened up mid-season so it was hard to bring people in. Then we were waiting for a liquor license and that was up in the air, so once we got it we could open, but at the same time, we couldn’t bring any staff to train because people don’t want to wait three weeks to start.
So there were some bumps and bruises along the way, some service points that we had to work out. But we have a good team now and they’re going to carry us through the winter.
Q: How would you describe the atmosphere on a Friday or Saturday night?
Jimmy: It still feels like controlled chaos but that’s part of the reason I like the restaurant business. When it goes smooth, and we’re having more of those nights than not now, it is like a well-orchestrated [machine]. A lot of laughing. The kitchen is having a good time, the wait staff is having a good time.
Danielle: We have a lot of happy people that work here. They’re just good people, that’s what we like to surround ourselves with.
Q: Is there anything else you want people to know about BuonaSera?
Jimmy: We’re really a very scratch kitchen. We don’t have much pre-made. If you order it, we’re making it. Sometimes that takes a little more time and while we’re not afraid to accommodate and take on special orders that slows us down a little bit, and that’s part of the service industry.
We make our own mozzarella. We make our own bread every day. All the pasta is cooked to order, we’re roasting garlic every day.
I don’t buy pre-made sauces. I don’t make anything from powder. People come in, and say, ‘I’ve never seen anybody make mozzarella before,’ and these are people who have been cooking for 10 years. So there’s still little things that they can learn and they appreciate it and it sets apart a little bit.
BuonaSera is located at 113 State Route 9P, Malta. For more information, visit BuonaSera on Facebook.
