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    Grano

    4.0 (93 reviews)
    Closed 5:00 pm - 9:00 PM

    Grano Photos

    GRANO ATMOSPHERE

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    Recommended Reviews - Grano

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    Spaghetti with white clam Sauce and shrimp and scallop Pomodoro
    Kim L.

    First off our waitress Georgia was very nice and did a great job. We had told her we were not in a hurry and she was great about not rushing us. We were at a table near the front, doors were open-it was great night to dine with open doors. We started with cocktails (Dirty martini and their specialty cosmo) then had app of Utica greens. Very good size portion. Spicy and delicious. The salads that come with the entree were also a very generous portion. The blue cheese dressing is excellent! We ordered a couple glasses of wine. Our entrees were the Shrimp and scallop Pomodoro and the spaghetti with white clam sauce. Both very nice. Plenty of clams in the shells, fresh pasta and a very flavorful sauce. Pomodoro was nice and light. Shared the key lime pie for dessert-really good!

    Corie Y.

    Grano is immediately next to Proctors, which guarantees crowds on show nights. I booked a reservation far in advance and showed up early. I had my pick of a table at 530, but by 630 it was completely full. Contrary to the first impression, this place is huge. I walked in and took a seat right by the door by a window, and didn't notice the additional dining rooms until I went to the restroom. There are tons of tables, so it tracks that when it is busy, you should expect to wait. I was dining solo, which made for an awkward entrance. I made a reservation but the Host offered me the bar since it was just me, but I made a reservation because I wanted a table. He kinda shrugged it off and said just sit wherever you want. This was a little odd. It took a little while for a server to come and she also asked, are we waiting for someone, before I could say no, they said, oh they are in the restroom? When I said I was dining alone it was taken as surprise. It can be intimidating for some people to dine alone (not for me) and I think that entrance might be awkward for some. No big deal, turned out my server Jilly warmed right up to me and she was fantastic. I ordered a bottle of wine, they had several bottles around $30 which is reasonable and appreciated. Warm, fresh bread was brought out and it was great quality, but I tried to not fill up on the bread. When I ordered, I asked the server to pace my meal as I wasn't in a rush, and they obliged and I enjoyed the pace of the meal. For an app, I started with the Clams Oreganato, as I had been craving clams. It was okay, I should know better ordering little necks as they are small for my taste. Very little clam flavor in the dish, the broth was overly salty and any flavor in the dish was washed out with salt and maybe a hint of white wine. The bread crumb finish was unnecessary and there was just too much of it. For my entree, I ordered the Veal 3 Cheese over house made rigatoni, and I rarely alter dishes, but asked for no roasted red peppers as they just aren't my favorite. The server said they can serve the pasta under the veal so it was the same sauce, and yes that is preferred, but I noticed a $2 up charge for this on the bill. I don't know what the other option would have been, maybe on the side with marinara? Seemed weird to up charge to use less plates and less ingredients. I do appreciate that they offer a salad with all entrees, this is very uncommon these days. I ordered mine with blue cheese. The salad was good, I enjoyed the use of spring greens, the olives, red onion, and the house made blue cheese was thick and chunky and delicious. They really saved the best for last, because the veal dish was incredible. It was served without the peppers as requested, but I do think they forgot the "3 cheese" part of it. It was pretty much a veal marsala, which is exactly what I was craving, and they brought a little dish of grated cheese and pepper flakes to the table, so I was happy. The house made rigatoni was truly rave worthy, excellent bite to it, perfectly cooked, and you could tell it was house made. Veal is such a treat for me because I only have it when I am out, I actually avoid Italian spots that don't offer veal. My first bite made me close my eyes in bliss, so tender, melt in your mouth, perfectly cooked. This dish honestly sold me on the evening, it was perfect for me. Since it was closing in on show time, my server quickly wrapped up my leftovers and processed the bill. I was there about 2 hours and enjoyed my time. I didn't love everything, but I will probably return to try other dishes as I attend Proctors frequently. Good spot to try if you want to try somewhere other than Johnnys. Make a reservation, and make sure you get the house made pasta of the night.

    Bada Bing!
    Heather S.

    4.8, but only because i've only been once. It was a total love at first visit; I'm so eager to go back! Everything is locally sourced and homemade, the staff is SPECTACULAR with both the host with the most, the bartender (who later became our table staff when we decided to move to a high top after first cocktailing at the bar) were super friendly, knowledgable, and FUN to engage with during our visit. Let's talk about the cocktails!! Friends - we arrived moments after opening, and within 15 minutes, the bar was full of patrons requesting a variety of speciality and classic cocktails (martinis of both categories seemed to be a hit.) Our table was split with a draft beer, a speciality martini, a glass of red, and a classic vodka soda, each poured perfectly for our celebratory event. We claimed Grano a great happy hour spot off the bat. And then we sat for dinner. We had great recommendations from our bartender turned waitress turned personal plate stylist who helped us navigate the menu and made suggestions for each of us based on our individual considerations. We laughed over our beverages as we started breaking bread together - literally - as the most delicious, warm homemade bread and butter was delivered to the table in an instant. Followed by every single bite our server recommended was perfect - from the appetizers shared to the entrees we each hemmed and hawwed over. Once we started eating, the table grew silent by deliciousness. Foods enjoyed: cold antipasto, grano classic meatballs, arancini, eggplant parmigiana, rotini grano, and the seafood pasta special of the night. Will go again.

    Frutti di mare
    Alisa W.

    I can't say enough great things about this place. Every time I'm in Schenectady I have to stop in. The food & service is exceptional. Although disappointing that this past time we couldn't do the four course meal since there was a show happening next door at the theatre, we still got to be seated without a reservation despite how busy they were. Frank, who always seems to always be the host upon arrival is phenomenal and was able to find us a table for two even though we didn't have a reservation. We had the rice balls, which were amazing, and the three cheese veal was exceptional. Although, the rigatoni with chicken appeared to be cold and dry the waitress was so lovely and allowed us to order some thing to replace it & took it off the check for us. She was such a great waitress & made our experience a memorable one. We'll definitely be back.

    Rigatoni Chicken Vodka
    Mike L.

    This has been on my list for quite some time but just never got around to trying it because there are so many great Italian restaurants already on my list. Now I can add another. I actually had a lot of dishes that I was torn between and ended up choosing the Rigatoni chicken vodka. Vodka sauce is very hot or miss for me and I can confidently say Grano is a contender for one of the best. I think it is at least in part due to the fresh rigatoni they make. The sauce was rich but not overpowering and the sauce to pasta ratio was perfect. The dish was a nice large portion too. Service was good and the prices are reasonable. The dining area was more spacious than I expected also.

    Small plates
    Mallory B.

    Food is always hot and delicious. Large portions that fill you and have leftovers for days! We visit often and share small plates and dinners so we can continue to try everything on the menu! Love it here !

    a view of a city street at night

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    5 years ago

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    7 years ago

    Delicious! Great bartenders (Juliet and Peter) and great food. Will definitely be back.

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    5 years ago

    amazing quality products, outstanding plate presentation, perfect portions & great service!! recommended

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    Page 3 of 3

    Ask the Community - Grano

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    More Perreca's - Penne alla Vodka

    More Perreca's

    3.8(357 reviews)
    0.4 mi
    $$

    I've always wanted to visit More Perreca's on Jay St. I've heard so much about the restaurant and…read moreespecially the bakery, Perreca's, located right next door. The businesses are located a couple of blocks from the gateway marking the entrance to Schenectady's Little Italy. So much history, food and romance in this neighborhood. We had Sunday brunch at More Perreca's. The bakery is closed on Sunday but I got a Sausage Lettuce Tomato sandwich served on toasted Perreca's bread. It was so delish. The Italian sausage was served with lettuce, tomato, roasted garlic puree, mayo and side salad. Everything was so fresh. My $11 meal was reasonably priced. The garlic purée was amazing. They need to bottle it. I'd buy some. My friend had the Mac and cheese and an espresso martini. He loved both. Rachelle was our server. She was wonderful. Very helpful. She explained some of the menu to me because there were a number of Italian sausage dishes. The food was prepared quickly which was great because we were hungry. Rachelle came back later to check on us. I gave her a thumbs up and a smile while busily chewing a bite of sandwich. The restaurant is charming with nice tin ceilings and big windows to let the light in. There are many booths which makes it cozy. When we arrived most of the tables were full. Based on the chatter in the room it sounded as though a lot of friends had gathered at the restaurant to literally break bread over brunch. The menu offers a nice variety: from egg breakfasts, assorted salads to Italian classics. It was an all around yummy and enjoyable experience. I let Rachelle know that we'll be coming back.

    My family, party of six, had lunch here Thursday 2/26/26. It was Downtown Schenectady Resturant…read moreWeek. Three course lunch $20-choice of 3 apps, 3 entrees, & 2 desserts. A great value! Our server, Rachelle M. was great! My app was garlic parm wings that were tasty & crispy-perfect. Three of us had the eggs in purgatory- 3 eggs cooked in a spicy marinara sauce w/ 4 pieces of toasted Perreca's famous Italian bread. Highly recommend this dish that's always on their menu. Others had the very good eggplant rollatini over spaghetti. The original coal-fired bakery is next door offering their signature crusty bread, red tomato pie, cheeses, meatballs, salamis, soppersottas, olives, giant cupcakes, & cannolli. Located in Schenectady's Little Italy. Restaurant hours: Sun, Wed, Thursday 11am-7pm, Fri & Sat 10am-8pm, closed Mon & Tue. More's Perreca's never disappoints. Beer, wine, & cocktails served so try here for brunch too. Thank you, Rachelle & staff. We had a great time. Nick & Liz, Albany, NY, USA

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    More Perreca's - Inside More Perreca's.

    Inside More Perreca's.

    More Perreca's - My Italian Sausage Lettuce Sandwich.

    My Italian Sausage Lettuce Sandwich.

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    Cornells in Little Italy - Pene ala vodka

    Cornells in Little Italy

    3.4(64 reviews)
    0.4 mi

    Went to Cornell's in Schenectady for Restaurant week on Friday night. 4 days later I literally feel…read morestolen from. We went with 3 kids, and were told there was no kids menu, it says thus no where, should no one ever bring a child here? The menu had no traditional American Italian kids items ie chicken parm. It had Barciolle, stuffed flounder, eggplant rollatini, and steak pizzialo. Which is fine, if you still offer a kids menu. The stuffed flounder gotten by 3 of us, one child, Was inedible, the stuffing mixture was so old, it tasted so off. Sour almost. None of us ate it. One child got steak pizzialo, the steak was basically boiled in tomato sauce, tough and not good. Service was maybe a 2/5. Save your money, I want mine back. $210 with tip. We left hungry. When the waitress came and saw the full plates, she said, do you guys want boxes? No thanks.

    Unfortunately I have to agree with many of the other more recent reviews here-- Cornell's seems to…read morehave gone way downhill in the last couple of years. I was here last in 2022 and had many delicious meals during my trip to Schenectady. This time, I returned to the restaurant and asked for a seat at the bar, only to be told that they weren't accepting walk-ins. I thought this was odd, but made a reservation for the following week. I wish I'd followed my gut and skipped it. The menu looks the same, but the preparations are completely different. The chicken Milanese used to be two large pieces of chicken served with a light and delicious cream sauce, nothing else. Now, it's a single thinly pounded piece of chicken, piled with lettuce and tomatoes (no mentioned of this on the menu) and served on top of a bland cream sauce. I wouldn't have ordered it if I'd known this. Also, the side order of cavatelli which used to be so delicious tasted like it had about a tablespoon of salt poured over it. Seriously, I've never had such salty food in my life. I also heard a diner at an adjacent table complain to their waitress that their food was too salty. I don't know what happened, but Cornell's is a completely different place than the great restaurant it once was. I won't be going back.

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    Cornells in Little Italy
    Cornells in Little Italy - World famous Perreca's bread

    World famous Perreca's bread

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    Canali's Italian & American Restaurant - Chicken  marsala

    Canali's Italian & American Restaurant

    4.2(194 reviews)
    2.9 mi
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    At Canali's today for a post funeral luncheon for around 50 people…read more Food: 3.5 Stars, rounded up to four Value: 4 Banquet Room: 2 The buffet moved efficiently as tables were called to get in two lines in front and behind the buffet table. "Chicken Marsala" with mushrooms and onions was very good -- Moist, tender, and flavorful. Cut with a fork! Roasted Potatoes were excellent! Browned on all sides with crispy skin and not greasy. They rightfully call them their "famous" roasted potatoes. Italian Bread was outstanding! Tortellini Primavera was blah. Sauce was too thin. Not enough vegetables. 2 Stars Ziti looked okay, but I did not have any. I heard the sauce was good. Baby Meatballs were weak, bland and slightly spongy in texture like frozen ones from market. 2 Stars Salad was limp and dressed too soon. Very little in it besides salad greens. Water was served in plastic cups, but there were nice white cloth napkins. Wines, coffee, and cookies were self serve. Price for this Buffet was $20. plus tax and gratuity per person offered Noon to 4 pm Wed. thru Sunday. The Chicken Marsala protein was selected from several. I would order the chicken, potatoes, and bread again on another visit or by takeout. Parking lot is huge. Many stairs lead down to the large basement Banquet Room. I smelled mildew when I sat down likely from the old carpeting.

    I love Canali's- we have been going there for years and I've never been disappointed with food or…read moreservice

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    Canali's Italian & American Restaurant - Chicken Parmigiana

    Chicken Parmigiana

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    Stella Pasta Bar & Bistro And Seven Points Brewery - The 3 meatballs sides were moist and delicious.

    Stella Pasta Bar & Bistro And Seven Points Brewery

    4.4(143 reviews)
    0.3 mi
    $$

    We had a five star night at Stella's on Saturday. We found a nice seat at a high top in the bar…read morearea. The Sonny Daye Trio started up at 6 o'clock and we stayed through both sets. The jazz was amazing especially considering there is no cover when they play downstairs. They had several people working the bar so service was fast and friendly. We had our usual arancini, sausage with broccoli rabe, and pasta al a vodka. Arancini were crisp on the outside and fresh. Sauce was plentiful and delicious on the pasta. I ordered a flight of beers for a change to try 4 of their excellent craft beers brewed on site. It came in a beautiful rack with beers neatly labeled (wish I thought to take a photo). Discovered a new favorite beer called Green Street. They canned a 4-pack for me real-time to take home at a reasonable price - I'm not sure how well it will keep but giving it a try. After a few not so stellar visits this year it was great to see Stellas is back on their game.

    I had three great meals at Stella while visiting Schenectady for work! I enjoyed eating in the…read moredining room and at the bar during happy hour, which has some really great deals. The bar has a smaller menu than the dining room, but still has plenty of options. I highly recommend taking advantage of the happy hour deals. The restaurant is located in a sprawling but cozy historic building with many different rooms, and a music club upstairs. In addition to delicious pasta and other Italian dishes, they feature their own beers, which are fantastic. I really enjoyed the arancini as well as the corn fritters for appetizers, and the cavatelli with pesto and shrimp scampi for entrees. The complimentary freshly baked bread is soft and delicious. Don't miss out on a great Italian meal and craft beer at Stella Pasta Bar!

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    Stella Pasta Bar & Bistro And Seven Points Brewery - Free quality jazz in bar area

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    Johnny's - Johnny's Parmigiana Family - veal with pink sauce

    Johnny's

    3.9(357 reviews)
    0.0 mi
    $$

    I had the best time at Johnny's recently. A friend and I made reservations to eat there before…read morecatching a show at Proctor's. We shared the Jo Jo Special. It consists of lobster tail, shrimp, clams and mussels in fra diavolo sauce over pasta. Our helpful server said the Jo Jo Special was meant to be shared. We thought it was an amazing Italian dish. I also had a delicious espresso martini. We were quite full. We had no room for dessert though the couples sitting next to us had rave reviews for the chocolate cake. Perhaps next time. In addition to the wonderful meal, I liked the ambiance. The restaurant is huge. We sat at a table right up front. The red and white checked tablecloths are classic. The large bar and decor harken to a different era. The art and images on the walls celebrate the Capital Region's history. The photos along the bar pay tribute to former service men and women from the region. I also liked the gracious and efficient wait staff. They were so welcoming. They were also very much aware that we had a show to catch. Even though Proctor's is just across the street, they made every effort to see to it that we were happy and fed in a timely manner. I'm grateful. We'll be back. Thanks.

    Recently had my son's 21st birthday dinner here. Private room, great waitress named Julie, and the…read morestaff is always attentive. I definitely would recommend them for a private event. Drinks good. The food was good. My son is usually a chef in the kitchen but had the night off and enjoyed being cooked for lol. Was accessible. Warm and inviting!

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    Johnny's - The bar at Johnny's.

    The bar at Johnny's.

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    Johnny's - Another view of bar

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    Another view of bar

    Grano - italian - Updated May 2026

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