“The locals who live here know good food from bad,” says owner Louis Lazzinnaro. “The customers actually know. So when they say something, they’re usually right, not because they’re the customer, but because they know right from wrong.”
The restaurant, located at 707 Saratoga Road in Wilton, opened in 1999. Back then, it was called Sergio’s and was a family-style restaurant. The name change happened about 15 years ago, coupled with a focus on a more sophisticated menu.
The restaurant looks unassuming from the outside, but inside it is elegant and modern. In the restaurant’s private dining room, horse racing is broadcast on a large TV screen. On the terrace behind the restaurant, there is a bocce court and a large tent. The guests speak as much Italian as English.
Lazzinnaro, a Long Island-based developer, has been coming to Saratoga Springs for more than 25 years. It was the racetrack that originally brought him here, and it remains a major attraction, in part because of the relationships he made there. He counted the late coach Bobby Frankel among his close friends, as well as Chad Brown and Vinnie and Teresa Viola. He mentioned that Viola, owner of the NHL franchise Florida Panthers, which won the Stanley Cup this season, plans to bring the trophy to the restaurant on Aug. 31 for the celebration.
“Any time I have a day off from work, I love coming to Saratoga. I try to come here as often as I can,” Lazzinnaro said. “It’s not just a horse town anymore. It’s a town where anything is possible. Every week, completely different friends come to Saratoga from all over.”
He recently became even more involved in the area, purchasing the venerable Sperry’s, which closed last year. He is still in the process of remodeling the Caroline Street building, but plans to maintain the restaurant’s nostalgic aesthetic.
The Gazette recently spoke with Lazzinnaro about Nové and the reasons why he keeps returning to Saratoga.
Q: Did you grow up cooking?
A: No, but I know about good food. I know how it should taste and I know how to improve it if it doesn’t taste right. Often I’ll come in three or four hours while the food is cooking and change things as it’s cooking, adjust a recipe that changes over time and you have to change it back to the right recipe.
Tacos & Margaritas Cantina opens on Union Street in Schenectady – Bite-Sized
So I do this three or four times a year because you have to put so much work into it. I basically bought myself a job here. I have to spend time here to do it right.
Q: It’s been a while, but what motivated you to conquer this location?
A: Because it was for sale in 1999. I was young and wanted to go to Saratoga and knew it would be busy because I knew people from the track. One of my main reasons was because the Wishing Well is down the block and you have to pass that place if you want to go to the Wishing Well.
And I knew it wouldn’t be difficult to fill the space.
Could I have moved to the city more often now? Yes. That’s not what I wanted. I was happy enough to come here during the season. Often people say, “If you were in the city, that would be great.” That’s not what I was looking for. Now I’m here because I have the time now.
Organist celebrates 50th anniversary at Zion Evangelical Church in Schenectady
Q: Can you tell me something about Sergio’s move to Nové?
A: We changed about 15 years ago because when it was called Sergio’s I had run it as a restaurant to get to Saratoga and have a reason to come here. Now, with Nové, I’ve taken it a little more seriously. Listen, great restaurants have opened here too, so the bar has changed.
Also, the locals here know good food from bad. The customers actually know, so when they say something, they are usually right, not because they are the customer, but because they know right from wrong.
I can tell you, one of our best sellers here is chicken parm. Not everyone can make a good chicken parm because they try to change what a basic chicken parm is, and it’s just a great, simple sauce without trying to dress it up. Just a simple, great product with plain old recipes.
Q: What was the focus of the menu when you opened?
A: It was a family business. When I decided to open the restaurant and become part of the city, we added pizza and people say we have the best pizza in the Capital Region. (Barstool Sports’) Dave Portnoy (One Bite Pizza Review) gave us an 8.6.
The Factory in Ballston Spa, where chocolate is still on the menu
We brought recipes from Brooklyn and Queens, so that’s a big seller. We try to keep it simple. We do sauteed mussels in a homemade bread basket. People love the mussels, but they also love eating the bread basket, which is delicious.
Q: Have you changed the interior much since it was called Nové?
A: Yes. We have set up a private dining room and that is nice because a lot of people want privacy at certain times and we can accommodate them.
The store has to be nice, especially to keep up with what’s going on in town, because there are great stores. I try to keep the store up to date, but at the same time, keep it old school, with our old school look, for our old school food. Half the time when you come here, you hear Jimmy Roselli in the background. That’s the music I remember.
Q: What does it usually look like when you come to try the recipes?
A: I stay behind the line, get 15 or 20 spoonfuls, and literally do a taste test and tell them, “This one needs to be loosened up, this one needs to be cooked a little more. We should give this one a little more flavor. Let’s just do it right.”
They are simple recipes with good products. That’s it. We haven’t reinvented the wheel here. We just serve good products, a simple restaurant, and that’s what we try to do.
Tacos & Margaritas Cantina opens on Union Street in Schenectady – Bite-Sized
Q: How would you describe the atmosphere here on a typical evening during the racing season?
A: Almost everyone knows everyone. There are people from the racetrack. There are people who come up from the south of the state. There are regulars who are part of the family here, and for the most part, everyone is really happy.
Q: What were the biggest challenges during the years you managed this place?
A: I have failed for many years with decent employees. It takes two years, especially in a race track (season), to win back customers.
I have great people working here now and being part of the team, and I’ve had consistent people for four or five years who love this place. Especially Ashley Lansburg, she’s our manager here. She definitely takes better care of this place than I do, and she loves it maybe even more than I do. She takes it to heart.
Q: I know you are working on the redesign of Sperry’s. What are the current plans?
A: Sperry’s, I’m going to make it nice. So the kitchen is in the basement. I want to move the kitchen right upstairs. I own the vacant lot next door, so I want to move Sperry’s 125 feet down Caroline Street.
I need to keep that nostalgic look, so I need to find the right designer to keep the Sperry look with new construction, and that’s what I’m going to do. Half the battle is having the old (memorabilia) and the pictures, I have all that. Now I just need to figure out how to put it together. And I’m going to do it.
For more information about Nové, visit novesaratoga.com.
Tacos & Margaritas Cantina opens on Union Street in Schenectady – Bite-Sized
Organist celebrates 50th anniversary at Zion Evangelical Church in Schenectady
The Factory in Ballston Spa, where chocolate is still on the menu
–
