Traditional Italian taverna coming soon
Spa City couple hope to open on Beekman Street in early 2018
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. » A new restaurant is coming to Beekman Street in 2018, with plans to offer Italian food and wine in a comfortable, rustic setting.
Taverna Novo will be located at 62 Beekman St. and is expected to debut early next year.
The business is being created by Spa City couple Jeffrey and Patricia Novo, who previously owned Crush & Cask Wine and Spirits on South Broadway. They sold that business last December after nearly a decade, and now they have a new endeavor underway.
Taverna Novo will be the entrepreneurial team’s first restaurant, but it’s something they’ve always wanted to do. Patricia Novo has a culinary degree from Schenectady County Community College, where she teaches a class called Wines of the World and serves as president of the school’s advisory board for culinary arts. She is also a certified specialist of wine, as designated by the Society of Wine Educators. Furthermore, she’s a member of the Guild of Sommeliers.
In addition to a large selection of wines predominantly from Italy and the United States, Taverna Novo will serve a focused menu of Italian cuisine, including wood fired pizza and pasta dishes, as well as some gluten-free and vegetarian options. Starters and pizzas will cost between $8 to 15.
“We really want it to be a nice, casual neighborhood Italian tavern with traditional Italian recipes,” Patricia Novo said.
In Italy, she explained, tavernas are typically set in the mountainous regions and serve as a place where travelers can stop, have a warm meal and get a drink.
“It’s kind of like a welcome respite to the outside, and that’s what we want this place to be,” she said, “a place where people can stop and they feel comfortable, they feel at home.”
The owners like their new location because it’s part of the Beekman Street neighborhood.
“We’ve always like this neighborhood,” Novo said. “We like the feel of it.”
The Novos are looking forward to inviting patrons to their taverna in the near future.
“We like to get to know people,” she said.
A small space, the restaurant is estimated to accommodate a maximum of about 50 guests.
“That’s really what we wanted, cozy, intimate,” Novo said.
Once in operation, Taverna Novo will be open for dinner during the week and lunch and dinner on weekends. More information is available online at www.facebook.com/tavernanovo, where the owners will post updates about progress toward grand opening, oir by calling 518-866-1680. A website is currently being developed.