There seemed to be a collective, citywide sigh when Saratoga creperie Ravenous shut its doors after 21 years in business this past November. One look at the comments on Saratoga Living‘s Facebook post about the closing shows just how beloved the restaurant was in town. But while the Spa City’s only crepe-centric restaurant may be gone (don’t worry: you can still get your thin pancake fix at Shirley’s Restaurant), Saratogians now have a new eatery to enjoy in its old Phila Street digs.
Trattoria Fortunata, which opened for takeout this past weekend, is headed up by Fonda native Kyle Geniti, whose Spa City restaurant résumé includes stints as sous chef at Harvey’s Restaurant and Bar and Druthers Brewing Company and as executive chef at Taverna Novo. The new spot is named for Geniti’s great-grandmother, the first member of his family to come to America from Italy (“fortunata” means “lucky” or “lucky woman” in Italian) and features many delicious Italian dishes on its menu. But don’t dismiss it as just another restaurant serving up pasta and red sauce in Saratoga. “We’re not going to do just Italian food,” Geniti says. “It’s really going to come down to what we feel like cooking. I don’t want to put us in a box and be stuck with Italian food, so I’ve been telling people it’s Italian American cuisine. I also plan on doing a lot with a plant-based menu.” Impossible Bolognese, a vegan/vegetarian take on the Italian classic, for example, is currently available on the Trattoria’s limited takeout menu, along with Vegetable Risotto, an Eggplant Parm Stack and Crispy Brussels. Meat eaters certainly aren’t forgotten, though: The menu also features Chicken Piccata, meatballs and a classic Bolognese served over gnocchi, penne or rigatoni.
Geniti says his restaurant’s physical space is still very much a work in progress, and while he plans to open for reservation-only in-house dining the first week of May, renovations to the space will continue over the next few months. “It’s been very stressful and difficult with all of the delays caused by COVID on top of all the usual headaches of starting a business,” Geniti says about the opening. “But we can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel and it’s getting to be exciting.”
Stay tuned to Trattoria Fortunata’s Facebook and Instagram for updates.
