Pescatore's Restaurant

[The truth]

One of my favorites growing up. I remember the bottles on the tables covered in wax from the burning candles. Anyone know if the people who owned or ran this place are still involved in the restaurant business? It was a wonderful place.

[Got out of Utica]

They left and moved to South Carolina. They own a place down there. Great food- Benny Rappa's.

[The truth]

Got out of Utica wrote:

They left and moved to South Carolina. They own a place down there. Great food- Benny Rappa's.

Well good for them. It was definitely a good restaurant.

[big package]

They were scumbags, their food sucked and they cheated their customers. Good riddance.

[The truth]

big package wrote:

They were scumbags, their food sucked and they cheated their customers. Good riddance.

How did they cheat their customers? Please elaborate.

[Rapid Vic]

A history lesson for you. First run by the Femia family, it was then bought by Roberto Pescatore and became Pescatore's Restaurant. He was a boxer from Naples Italy.

One of his first employees was a great cook named Frankie Nash (Nescia). Actually I believe he was responsible for the great menu and food which lasted all through the Pescatore era. After Pescatore, came Joe Gerace. He, now lives down south.

Argueably known for the best steak sandwhich around, it was pounded tenderloin served on hot garlic bread. Just fabulous!! The Italian dressing he put on his antipasto was second to none. Steak in the plate, hot antipasto, veal francais' meatball or sausage sandwich on garlic bread' I could go on and on.

The bar was even a fun place(even though Pescatore never drank or understood why anyone did). The old timers would come every day and drink draft beer... Bobby loved to gaft the whiskey' so they stayed away from it. Not all of it was gaft though. The higher ups knew what was good.

God, I could go into great detail, but I'll stop now. Maybe next time i'll do some name droppin.. you know blasts from the past. Arevidecci.

[Utica34]

Rapid Vic wrote:

A history lesson for you. First run by the Femia family, it was then bought by Roberto Pescatore and became Pescatore's Restaurant. He was a boxer from Naples Italy.
One of his first employees was a great cook named Frankie Nash (Nescia). Actually I believe he was responsible for the great menu and food which lasted all through the Pescatore era. After Pescatore, came Joe Gerace. He, now lives down south.
Argueably known for the best steak sandwhich around, it was pounded tenderloin served on hot garlic bread. Just fabulous!! The Italian dressing he put on his antipasto was second to none. Steak in the plate, hot antipasto, veal francais' meatball or sausage sandwich on garlic bread' I could go on and on.
The bar was even a fun place(even though Pescatore never drank or understood why anyone did). The old timers would come every day and drink draft beer... Bobby loved to gaft the whiskey' so they stayed away from it. Not all of it was gaft though. The higher ups knew what was good.
God, I could go into great detail, but I'll stop now. Maybe next time i'll do some name droppin.. you know blasts from the past. Arevidecci.

I forgot about him being a boxer but now that you mentioned it I do remember either the pictures on the walls or on the menus. It's probably been at least 20 years since I had been there so that part is a little gray. But I do remember the food being fantastic. Our family would eat there at least once a month when I was growing up. Food was spectacular.
Any more info you have is appreciated on these ears. There's so much negativity about utica here. I like reading the positive stuff and some history.

[tri]

couldnt agree more the best steak sand around and the italian dressing. ohhhhhhh what happened to the good ole days?

[east utica]

that was my aunt annette and uncle joe, that bought it and continued the great east utica food traditions that we all grew up with thru generations. soooooooo, may the malocchio be bestowed upon you ugly devils... may god bless you all!!!

[Rapid Vic]

Utica34 wrote:

<quoted text>
I forgot about him being a boxer but now that you mentioned it I do remember either the pictures on the walls or on the menus. It's probably been at least 20 years since I had been there so that part is a little gray. But I do remember the food being fantastic. Our family would eat there at least once a month when I was growing up. Food was spectacular.
Any more info you have is appreciated on these ears. There's so much negativity about utica here. I like reading the positive stuff and some history.

Thank You!!!! Tell me approximately what years you and your family use to go there and I might be able to give you more history. Oh, and by the way it's probably more like 35 plus years.

[Reply]

Rapid Vic wrote:

<quoted text>
Thank You!!!! Tell me approximately what years you and your family use to go there and I might be able to give you more history. Oh, and by the way it's probably more like 35 plus years.

so true !! but i remember Fannie Basile steak was excellant-along with the homemade pasta-and vito her son @ the bar !! Your comments Vic?

[Utica34]

Rapid Vic wrote:

<quoted text>
Thank You!!!! Tell me approximately what years you and your family use to go there and I might be able to give you more history. Oh, and by the way it's probably more like 35 plus years.

This is to my best recollection. Early 80s though the early 90s. I think it closed in the mid 90s while I was in college...either that or I was going through the "I'm too cool to go out with my family anymore " stage.:)

[Viet Nam Vet]

Waiter John Doti barkeep Frankie Fillippeli(aka frankie Blu) Cook Frank mercurio(r\R.I.p.)mIKE Guarno.Great food and many good times and meals there.You have to go a long way to find food like that again.Bob pescatore was a boxer.My self I think he boxed figs in Italy.(ha ha)But he was a good guy.You had to know how to take him.He was as gentle as a lamb.His bark was worse than his bite.
Ciao!

[eastutica]

i used to live across the street at 702 2nd floor frankis blu was a great bartender the whole place was great

[Mayo Face]

Well, I liked their food. And it took 2 days for the garlic bread to leave my breath.

[Vic the Stick]

Reply wrote:

<quoted text>so true !! but i remember Fannie Basile steak was excellant-along with the homemade pasta-and vito her son @ the bar !! Your comments Vic?

It's me, Rapid. Yes, Basile's was also a great East Utica eatery and by the way... a great watering hole too! Vito and his mother, Fanny were always great and a lot of fun.

[italian garbage]

The truth wrote:

One of my favorites growing up. I remember the bottles on the tables covered in wax from the burning candles. Anyone know if the people who owned or ran this place are still involved in the restaurant business? It was a wonderful place.

They died of food poisoning at a grease ball restaurant.

[walkerny]

I worked there for a year in the mid 80's as a waiter and bartender while going to school. I lived down Albany street in a wedged shape building that is now a Chinese Food joint. Cook Frank Mercurio lived around the corner, I gave him a couple model ships which was his hobby and he made great work of them. MIKE Guarno I believe used to cook at the old Imperial Restaurant my Dad's favorite placed when we moved up from Philly in 1971. No knock on Frank, but Mike was a hell of a cook. Bob was a strange cat, no doubt about it, but he grew up in a different time & place and was a decent guy. Bob used to slip every oddball coin he received into my tip envelope (for what got charged on credit cards). He never cheated me a dime, but I got a kick out of it because Italians in Naples (where he is from) used to do the same thing when I was there as a sailor. They'd slip you a worthless 5 lira coin with Mussolini on it instead of the near-worthless 25 lira coin. You would both be happy. He did substitute some of the liquor with cheaper varieties and re-fill some of the 'fancy' wine bottles (the kind with woven exterior). Because he didn't drink, I'm not sure he knew the difference between whiskies and more than once I had to convince drinkers that it WAS bourbon or scotch when I could tell it wasn't. People won't believe a waitress but when a barkeep comes over with the bottle and pours they can be swayed. All in all good people and I liked the customers & the bar crowd. Mike & Frank used to feed the hell out of me before each shift, those great steak sandwiches, Mike made great Giambrott and for an Irish college kid, eating that great food for free was fantastic. Bobby would have dropped a kitten if he knew. Shame that even then you could see the quality of the people moving into that neighborhood was starting to slip. I am definitely going to try the place in South Carolina, shame I was just there a couple blocks away. I only looked up Pescatores today because I drove up Albany headed to my friends birthday party and see it was gone.