Reviews

Tuesday edition June 13, 2006:
There’s a buzz around Schenectady that has spread like wildflowers… the new Cella Bistro on Rosa Road quietly opened its doors in mid-April to a completely transformed and updated bistro-style tapas bar and full service restaurant. But it’s quiet no more…word has gotten around and business is bustling!

For the Cella family of Clifton Park, life has come full circle. Jim and Cheryl’s first visit to the Rosa Road site was in 1975 when they were wined and dined at the former landmark Perrino’s Restaurant on Jim’s interview trip to the GE Research and Development Center. Thirty years later, the Clifton Park couple, along with oldest son Michael and his wife, Julia, have returned as owner-operators of this new neighborhood eatery.

Warm colors, wood floors and candlelight walls draw you in and the distinctive cuisine will keep you coming back—again and again as many of the locals are doing. The bistro offers a tapas bar menu that has seen the likes of the season--fiddlehead ferns, ramps and long-stemmed artichokes -- and a full service Southern Mediterranean menu that is both seasonally inspired and distinctive. An approachable while adventurous wine list covers the span from sparkling to light whites to full-bodied reds with a full section dedicated to “20 selections for $20.” Sherry, port and ice wine round out the offerings.

Chef Michael, a Culinary Institute grad, began his formal training at SCCC under the mentorship of Chef Bob Payne of the Bears in Duanesburg and worked with Andrew Plummer (Maguire’s/Albany) at both Café Allegro and Daisy Baker’s in Troy. While a student at the CIA, Cella cooked at Terrapin and later Le Petit Bistro, both in the dining mecca of Rhinebeck, NY. His wife Julia brings a strong managerial background to the ownership team with her years as a Regional Visual Manager for Pier I. She opened stores for the nationally based company in Rotterdam and Saratoga Springs in addition to overseeing 33 stores across the Northeast.

Schenectady is in for a culinary awakening and Cella Bistro is where it’s happening!