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    Grano

    4.0 (96 reviews)
    Closed 5:00 pm - 9:00 PM

    Grano Photos

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    Fresh Rigatoni W/ Vodka Sauce
    Kristen D.

    I feel like the pictures speak for themselves That chicken parm with the fresh rigatoni covered in vodka cream sauce was an amazing combo The appetizer pictured was "mozzarella e carozza" panko crumb encrusted and fried bread carriages stuffed with mozzarella cheese, topped with marinara sauce, fresh basil and crispy prosciutto Not pictured is lobster risotto which was a huge portion PB Pie & Coconut Cream Pie (made in house)

    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.

    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.

    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.

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    The food was great , good atmosphere , good service , although the parking isn't the easiest

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    Ask the Community - Grano

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    More Perreca's

    More Perreca's

    3.8
    (360 reviews)
    0.4 mi
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    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.

    Full disclosure: my son works here, so yeah... biased as heck . Just me and Kiernan rolling in,…read moreolder bro + dad energy fully loaded -- two-man Italian food squad on a mission. Me? Chef mode engaged, tasting like a pro. Kollin was working, locked in as the waiter, moving like a ninja, didn't even notice us quietly demolishing everything in sight. Absolute respect. Every table around us? Wild vibes. Plates stacked like skyscrapers, people laughing, yelling, living their best family life -- basically a full-on Italian festival. Specials flying out like missiles, drinks hitting like tiny joy grenades, and every plate? Hot, huge, and straight fire. I had gnocchi so soft it made me question all my life choices, mussels practically jumped into my mouth, and Kiernan just nodded in silent approval -- Dad + Son synergy unlocked. We basically became part of the ambient soundtrack -- the chef dad, tasting like a pro, the son absorbing pure Italian energy. Portions massive, flavors insane, zero drama, all vibes. If you even think about Italian in Schenectady... go see Kollin. Go to Perrecca's. You'll leave stuffed, happy, and probably texting your friends in all caps about how legendary this place is. #DadAndSonGoals #GnocchiGods #LockedInLegend #FullOnVibes #PerreccasOrBust

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    Inside More Perreca's.
    Inside More Perreca's.
    My Italian Sausage Lettuce Sandwich.
    My Italian Sausage Lettuce Sandwich.
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    Cornells in Little Italy

    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
    World famous Perreca's bread
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    Canali's Italian & American Restaurant

    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.

    Chicken Alfredo is so cheesy and delicious. Portions are humongous. Service was excellent.read more

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    Stella Pasta Bar & Bistro And Seven Points Brewery

    Stella Pasta Bar & Bistro And Seven Points Brewery

    4.4
    (145 reviews)
    0.3 mi
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    Love everything about this restaurant! Tonight we had eggplant parm which was lightly breaded and…read moretender, with a delicious fresh marinara sauce. Eggplant wasn't chewy or thick as many are. My date had the meat sauce with tagliatelle that was so thick and flavorful. But hats off to the baker! The bread is the best I've had in any restaurant in the Capital district! Even better than most Italan bakeries. Fresh, crusty, dense and tastes like homemade! The dessert we had was amazing- a pistachio and chocolate chip panna cotta. It was light and creamy but not overly sweet with a crunchy topping. The perfect ending to an Italian dinner! Our server was lovely and genuine (didn't get her name but it was around 6pm tonight). She was so thoughtful! We love Stella's and highly recommend it for an amazing meal and great service.

    I came here with an out-of-town friend to sample the Seven Points brews at the bar, but we decided…read moreto stay at the bar for a meal as well. I enjoyed the atmosphere here, as well as my Baritone American-style Porter. My brewery companion said his beers were ok, but he really enjoyed his pasta dinner. He travels to Italy frequently, and he said the pasta would be considered traditionally al dente in Italy, though perhaps not to all Americans' taste. I took advantage of the happy hour prices (which included a discount on my beer) to try the Eggplant Stack appetizer. The eggplant was cooked perfectly, crisp without being greasy, and the marinara sauce was addicting. Service at the bar was fun with the chatty bartenders. Besides coming back here to sample more beers, this could easily become one of my go-to Italian restaurants in the Capital District.

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    Grano - italian - Updated August 2026

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