By Jill Nagy
A new restaurant called Seven opened in January at the Park Manor Hotel, formerly the Comfort Suites, near Northway Exit 10 in Clifton Park.
The hotel address is 7 Northside Drive, hence the name. Described as an American bistro, Seven serves breakfast, lunch and dinner in a space with a bistro-influenced decor. It replaces what had been a small breakfast area, now expanded and re-decorated.
It is open to the public, not just hotel patrons.
Frank Ciacco, manager of the restaurant, said everything is made from scratch from fresh ingredients. Everything is made in-house, including marinades, roasts and smoked meats, he added.
The menu is “ever-changing, ever-evolving,” he said, noting it has been revamped six times since January as chef Tyler Mullins tries out new recipes and seeks feedback from the clientele.
Ciacco described Mullins style as “classical,” paying a great attention to details and creating “great plates.”
There is a daily early evening happy hour featuring specialty cocktails and another late-night happy hour.
“A huge share of our business comes from the bar,” Ciacco said.
In addition to full meals, Seven serves such lighter fare as salads, sandwiches, burgers, and made-to-order pizzas. The kitchen is open until 10 p.m. There are 44 wines on the wine list, in addition to the cocktails and beer.
Ciacco said most of the restaurant’s customers are local people, largely from Clifton Park, Malta and Ballston Spa. He estimated that 80-90 percent are not hotel guests.
The restaurant seats 50 people inside and, in warm weather, another 25 people outside. Plans are to open the terrace at the end of April. In addition, there is a banquet facility that seats 220 people.
Families are welcome and there is a children’s menu, Ciacco said, but most customers are couples and friends. Prices vary but he estimated the cost of a meal at $30 to $40 a person.
Future plans include Mothers’ Day dinner and live music.
Ciacco managed Cheesecake Factory restaurants for about 10 years, opening and managing outlets in nine different locations. Right now, he lives in Albany and, he said, he looks forward to settling down in one place.
The phone number for the hotel and restaurant is 373-2255.