Welcome to a restaurant review which was for both business and pleasure. Before COVID-19, in November 2019 during my fall semester at Skidmore College, I was taking a class on branding and marketing communication. Our primary assignment for that semester was to do a branding campaign for the DZ restaurant group in Saratoga Springs, my college town. The DZ restaurant group comprises three Mediterranean restaurants, Boca Bistro, Chianti, and the subject of this review, Forno Bistro.
Forno Bistro is a Northern Italian style restaurant that recently went through a significant renovation to expand its bar space. Forno also did a revamp of their menu to include more seasonal items, changing it up every three to four months, depending on the season. Forno tries to source local ingredients where possible, either from the local farmer’s market, or DZ Group’s farm.
When my brother visited me back in November, Forno’s menu was focusing on Fall specialties, which, in the United States, means pumpkin everything.
My brother, my friends, and I tried several dishes, starting with vegetable croquette served with a spicy sauce. Next, we split a calzone, which I washed down with a pumpkin spiced old fashioned. I ordered a penne alla vodka for my main course, which was delicious and creamy. The meal ended with a flour-less chocolate cake, compliments of the manager whom I interviewed for my class.
While Forno Bistro likes to pride itself on making you feel more like a guest than like a customer, I did not get such a vibe. Thankfully the food did make up for it. The highlights of the meal were the calzone and the cocktails. The new mixologist did a fantastic job with the seasonal ingredients, and nothing beats a freshly baked calzone from a wood-fired oven. The restaurant, overall, is excellent, and they are incredibly accommodating to all dietary restrictions. If you’re ever in Saratoga Springs, Upstate New York, hopefully during the summer and after COVID-19, a visit to Forno Bistro is a must.