OPEN HOUSE
Forno Bistro reopens after renovations
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.>> After a weeks-long renovation project, Forno Bistro reopened to the public with an open house party this week.
Located at 541 Broadway in downtown Saratoga Springs, the local Italian restaurant reopened last Friday after three weeks of
being closed for renovations. On Wednesday, Forno Bistro celebrated its new look with an open house event. Guests had the opportunity to experience the new Forno Bistro, including food from its diverse menu of authentic Tuscan Italian cuisine.
Owner David Zecchini of DZ Restaurants originally opened Forno Bistro in 2004 at the old firehouse building on Broadway.
Now, 13 years after opening what is still a popular Saratoga Springs restaurant, Zecchini decided the time had come to reimagine the Forno Bistro concept.
Renovations of Forno Bistro began on Feb. 26 and included updates to the dining room, bar and kitchen. The new appearance is based around exposed brick, natural textures, and reclaimed barn wood and metals. The bar is now the centerpiece of the restaurant with 24 seats and a new “Hammer & Nails” Happy Hour with $3,$5, $7 and $9 levels. The bar also features eight new draft beer lines, an inventive cocktail list and an expanded wine list with an abundance of Italian wines by the glass and by the bottle. Century old corrugated metal sheets wrap the bar while oak, maple and pine tree bark accent pillars and walls. Reclaimed barn wood is used generously throughout the restaurant from table tops to wall panels. Over-sized mirrors and chalkboards adorn the dining room and menus are presented on reclaimed wooden clipboards and in leather journals.
Forno Bistro seats 90 guests with additional seating in the summer months when its award-winning patio comes alive with plants, drapery, terracotta statues and private and semi-private space.
Proceeds from Wednesday’s open house event will benefit The Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York’s Backpack Program, which was designed to meet the needs of hungry children in the area at times when other resources are not available, especially on weekends.
“You give back to the restaurant, because the restaurant gives back to you,” Zecchini said in a press release. “None of this is possible without our guests. It’s always about the guests.”
Forno Bistro is open seven days a week for dinner at 5 p.m. and also features Happy Hour from 4:30 to 6 p.m. daily.
For more information visit www.fornobistro.com or call 518-581-2401.