©2019 Saratoga Photographer.com
By Christine Graf
The sale of Siro’s Restaurant in Saratoga Springs was finalized less than three weeks before the restaurant’s July 8 opening.
It was purchased for $1.2 million by the Spitalny family through the SPS & JPS Family Partnerships. According to Peter Spitalny, president of Albany’s Stein Fibers, the purchase took place over the course of 30 to 45 days.
“The purchase came about very, very quickly,” said Spitalny. “The previous owners were thinking about selling, but said if I was interested I had to move quickly in order to complete the purchase. They were proceeding as if they were not going to sell it. They had someone who was seriously interested in buying it after the meet was closed, but who could not close as quickly as I was able to. We had a handshake deal two-and-a-half weeks before the scheduled opening.”
He is the former owner of the Saratoga restaurant Mingle and also owns the Lake George Beach Club (formerly Shepard’s Cove). Spitalny invested approximately $500,000 in renovations and upgrades after purchasing the lake front property in 2016.
Spitalny leased Siro’s to Scott Solomon, his former partner in Mingle. Solomon is also a real estate developer and political consultant. He operates Siro’s along with a silent partner and was instrumental in getting the restaurant opened in such a short period of time.
Veteran chef David Britton was hired as Siro’s new executive chef. He is the owner of Pies on Wheels, a mobile artisan pizzeria, and Dakine Cuisine, a manufacturer of exotic vinegar syrups and specialty products. Britton, the former owner of Saratoga’s Springwater Bistro, was hired just three days before its opening.
“Having three days to do it was not the ideal scenario,” said Britton. “But having worked in some of the finest resorts in the world with some of the finest chefs, I was prepared for this. I know how it has to happen. And I was given the support—the unconditional support—from the leadership and owners of Siro’s to do that.”
Britton said his experience on the Food Network television show “Dinner: Impossible” helped prepare him for the challenge. He appeared on the show for eight seasons alongside British celebrity chef Robert Irvine.
“We would go into these impossible situations. We went all over the country performing all kinds of different challenges,” said Britton. “It was kind of ironic that in true life I was put into somewhat of an impossible situation. Who ramps up a kitchen—especially an institution like Siro’s—in such a short time?”
Britton has made changes to the menu at Siro’s by adding some of the dishes he perfected while at Springwater Bistro and the Sagamore’s Trillium. The menu includes an assortment of seafood that he has flown in from Hawaii.
Although there are many new items on the menu, favorites such as giant lobsters and fluke have not been removed. Britton and his kitchen staff are also willing to accommodate the requests of longtime customers who may request something that is not on the menu.
Solomon said business is booming and feedback from customers has been very positive.
“People are happy. They are excited. They are saying the food is phenomenal.”
Both Solomon and Spitalny recognize the importance of tradition at Siro’s. It is for that reason they do not plan any drastic changes.
“Siro’s is a landmark restaurant with lots of tradition, and my intent was to continue the elegant personalized service they have had in the past and to continue the same traditions but with some updates and improvements,” said Spitalny. “With our new chef Dave Britton, I think we are well on our way to that. He’s done a great job. The presentation is beautiful. And as always, it’s white tablecloth, very personalized service.”
According to Solomon, “We’re just trying to keep Siro’s the way it is but bring a new energy to it. Not too much is changing this year. It happened so late in the season that we had to put all of our efforts into opening this year without thinking about the fall yet. We will be doing some renovations next year—some fixes to the building.”
Siro’s will operate through Labor Day, Sept. 3, but Spitalny and Solomon are considering extending the restaurant’s season next year. They are also discussing plans to host weddings, holiday parties and other special events.
Britton credits his team for coming together and working despite being thrown together in the eleventh hour. The team includes familiar faces including longtime maître d’ Michael Stone. Among the new faces are chef de cuisine Nestor Pla. Britton and Pla ran the banquet department at the Ritz Carlton in Laguna Niguel, Calif., in the 1990s.