Another restaurant for Phila Street
Downtown Saratoga Springs eatery set to open
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.» Two local restaurateurs are starting a new endeavor at 43 Phila St. in downtown Saratoga Springs.
Ronnie Farber and Ralphie Balsamo will soon reopen the restaurant space, formerly Seven Horse Pub and before that 43 Phila Bistro.
The 1885 brick building will now be home to two new attractions, R&R Kitchen and Bar
on the first floor as well as Ronnie & Ralphie’s at 43 Phila upstairs.
“We have two concepts under one roof,” Balsamo said.
R&R Kitchen and Bar will feature global comfort food in a casual setting, while the second story Ronnie & Ralphie’s will offer an intimate fine dining experience. With bar seating, indoor tables and outdoor patio area, R&R Kitchen and Bar will feature an eclectic menu of starters and entrees in addition to a raw seafood bar and an Italian gourmet antipasti salumeria. “We have a very expansive menu here,” Farber said, noting that the kitchen is run by chef Brian Bowden and sous chef Evan Cavanaugh
Upstairs, Ronnie & Ralphie’s at 43 Phila will have more of a fine dining feel with white tablecloths and a continental, heavy Italian menu. “Steaks, chops, fish, pastas,” Farber said. This floor now houses the original bar from 43 Phila Bistro, and will have a quiet lounge area for guests. This space can also be rented out for parties of up to about 80 standing and 45 seated.
Both Farber and Balsamo are experienced restaurant owners. Balsamo was involved locally with Villa Balsamo and Paradiso Ristorante, along with other businesses in Queens and Long Island. Farber is affiliated with a long list of Saratoga Springs restaurants such as Dine, The Metro, The Lodge and 8 Tables.
The pair know each other from the industry, and have long talked about starting a restaurant together.
“This is 20 years in the making trying to put it together, and we finally had the right time and the right space,” Balsamo said.
Farber and Balsamo, who used to patronize 43 Phila Bistro before it closed in 2006, hope to bring back the social setting they enjoyed as customers.
The owners said they’re aiming to bring this tradition back to 43 Phila St. “It was a great dining room, a great venue,” Balsamo said. “The building has some beautiful bones. It’s just waking up Sleeping Beauty again.”
The new business will also have a nod to the longtime hotspot’s history as a deli called Goldsmith’s, through caricatures on the walls. Some of the original drawings will be displayed upstairs, while a new set featuring the city’s more current legends are being created for downstairs.
Ronnie & Ralphie’s at 43 Phila and R&R Kitchen and Bar is expected to open soon. For more information and updates check the Ronnie & Ralphie’s at 43 Phila Facebook page.
Once it’s officially open, both floors will serve dinner seven nights a week throughout track season. Additionally, on Saturdays and Sundays the restaurant will serve brunch with a special bloody Mary and mimosa bar.
After track season, the owners plan to expand into offering lunch, specialty nights and entertainment events at R&R Kitchen and Bar.
In this new chapter at 43 Phila, Farber said, “The idea is that everybody has fun. We want everybody to have great food, great service and great fun.”