Courtesy Fortunada
Truly a family business, Trattoria Fortunata was launched by Kyle Geniti, at center in purple. Assisting in a variety of roles are family members including his father, Joe, standing in the checked shirt, and mother, Kathrine, seated, far right.
The restaurant at 21 Phila Street that used to be the Ravenous Creperie is now Trattoria Fortunata, the creation of Fonda native Kyle Geniti, whose résumé in the area includes a stint a stint as a cook at 15 Church, sous chef and kitchen manager at Harvey’s Restaurant and Druther's Brewing Company, and executive chef at Taverna Novo.
The kitchen is the same. The tables and chairs are the same. But the menu now offers a creative blend of Italian and American cuisine with a variety of plant-based options, such as Eggplant Pharm Stack, Vegetable Risotto, Broccoli Rabe, and “Impossible Bolognese,” a vegetarian Bolognese made with Impossible brand’s plant-based meat.
When Geniti soft-launched the restaurant in April, his focus was takeout and app-based deliveries. Now that masks have come off, he's welcoming sit-down diners to his establishment's 36 indoor seats.
Geniti officially cut the ribbon with the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday, June 9.
In every sense, this is a family business, starting with its name. Fortunata was Geniti's great-grandmother, the first member of his family to come to America from Italy. She and Kyle's great-grandfather raised trotters and enjoyed racing them in Saratoga. An accomplished cook, she left a collection of recipes that Kyle is eager to explore.
On any given night, he gets help in the kitchen from family. This includes his father, Joe, his mother, Kathrine, and his brothers Joe and Travis and his sister Kimberly. Catherine, his sister-in-law, helps out as well.
Brittney Dorrough, Kyle's girlfriend, will seat you and take your order.
For now, this team is only serving dinner but they plan to offer lunch and a Sunday brunch soon.
"It's picking up every day," says Geniti. "Now it's a matter of preparing for a busy Saratoga summer."
They plan for more Italian-inspired entrees, steak, seafood, a dedicated vegetarian/vegan menu, craft beer, wine and mimosas.
For more information, follow them on Facebook and Instagram.
Editor's note: A few changes to names were made to this story.