BY JILL NAGY
Things have been busy at the recently reopened
Villa Balsamo, on Route 50, between
Saratoga Springs and Ballston Spa.
The restaurant, a Georgian-style mansion, is
owned by Joseph Balsamo. It had been closed
since 2013 and opened its doors in mid-August.
Balsamo bought the 1929 mansion and
opened the restaurant in 1976. At the age of 83,
he remains active.
“He is in the dining room every day of the
week,” said his son, Ralphie Balsamo, who cooks
and is involved with the operations.
Business has been going “absolutely beautiful,”
said the younger Balsamo. “People used to say the
place was a sleeping beauty. She’s now awake and
still the beauty she’s always been.”
The restaurant has been booking private parties,
banquets and similar events. Old customers
are flocking back, Balsamo said, along with new
customers, he noted that about 10 families have
come in several times a week.
Adults are coming to the Villa now who remember
eating there as children, he said.
14 acres of property on which Villa Balsamo
stands, surrounded by four shimmering ponds,
wooded stretches and a long, smooth lawn. Natural
springs are found on the land, and a buck pays
a visit every morning, Ralph said.
The structure was originally built for knitting
magnate Floyd J. Shutts, then went through a series of other owners. In addition to sprucing
up the existing mansion, the Balsamo family
plans additions to the original three-story,
10,000- square-foot home. There will eventually
be a private dining room, as well as nine master
bedroom suites. A future plans is to open the
mansion’s top floors as a bed and breakfast.
The family took a brief vacation in September,
but will now be open year round, six days a week
(closed Mondays), serving a southern Neapolitan
menu, including seafood and “the freshest of
fruits and vegetables,” Balsamo said.
He noted that there is no walk-in freezer, so the
restaurant has to stock fresh ingredients.
Prices are in the $50 range without drinks.
He described the wine list as “very approachable,”
with European and California selections
dominating. There is a variety of different brands
of champagne.
The restaurant comes upon its southern Neapolitan
label honestly. Joseph Balsamo, the restaurant’s
founder, comes from Sorrento, south of
Naples. He came to the United States in 1950 and
served in the Merchant Marines before settling
in Brooklyn. He was part owner of a restaurant
near the Aqueduct Racetrack in the New York
City area before moving upstate.
Villa Balsamo is located at 2255 Route 50,
about three-quarters of a mile south of the
Saratoga Performing Arts Center. The telephone
number is 885-3227.