NEW ITALIAN EATERY
Anthony’s Italian Restaurant holds ribbon-cutting ceremony
COHOES, N.Y. » The Spindle City’s Remsen Street is well on the road to recovery after the devastating fire that ripped through it a few years ago. On Tuesday, Anthony’s Italian Restaurant held its ribbon cutting.
The co- owners of Anthony’s - Donald Russell, Derek Billeveu, and Robert Barbiari - purchased the space from its previous owner, who had retired a month before the fire. They spent 18 months renovating from top to bottom, turning it into the only sit- down Italian restaurant in Cohoes.
Anthony’s has already been open for three months, and it’s getting rave reviews from its customers.
“It’s great!” exclaimed Mayor Bill Keeler. “This is my favorite restaurant. With this beautiful sitdown space, there’s no reason to leave Cohoes now. The chicken parm is my favorite.”
“The veal supreme is to die for,” said Ralph May, from Schenectady, who is more than happy to make the drive for the food from Anthony’s. “If we stay for dinner (after the ribbon cutting), I’m going to get the same thing again. I cook at home with my grandkids, and I would love to be able to cook at this level.”
It’s not hard to see why the food at Anthony’s is so popular. Everything on the menu is fresh and made from scratch. The desserts come from Chaos and Buttercream, a private baker that Anthony’s has a business agreement with.
Anthony’s co- owners are already well-versed in what makes a good restaurant. They’re also the owners of Spindles on Remsen and Donnie Magoos.
“This is a great attraction for Cohoes and a good improvement of Remsen Street,” Albany County Deputy Majority Legislator and Cohoes Democratic Chairman Gil Ethier said. “We’re moving in the right direction.”
“This is something that Cohoes truly needed,” said Russell, who is also a City Councilman. “It fills a void. Cohoes is very businessfriendly. The city has gone through so much in the last few years, and we’re very happy to be a part of it. We hope to be another jewel of the city.”
If the appetizers served at the ribbon- cutting are any indication, Russell’s hope may have already come true. Within minutes of being served, the tray of meatballs in sauce was almost empty and the stuffed peppers were half gone. The desserts moved a little more slowly, but only because they were so rich and filling.
Commentary from around the room included the phrases “very good,” “amazing,” “something else,” and “so tasty.”
Anthony’s is open for business six days a week (closed on Mondays), starting at 4 p.m. for full dinner and bar service.