Saratoga’s dining scene just got a bold new addition — and food lovers are already buzzing. After nearly a year of anticipation, Noah’s Italian, the latest venture from chef Noah Frese and the ownership group behind the iconic track-season hot spot Siro’s, officially opens its doors Tuesday in the heart of downtown Saratoga Springs. The long-awaited debut follows a Saturday night preview dinner that gave guests a taste of what’s to come inside the newly transformed space at 43 Phila Street — a building that’s housed local favorite eateries for generations.
The menu (https://noahsitalian.com/menu/) is anything but ordinary. Featuring roughly 40 dishes, it offers a thoughtful mix of Italian staples and premium chophouse selections. Think handmade pastas — eight different varieties freshly crafted by Saratoga culinary veteran Danny Petrosino — alongside top-tier steaks and lamb cuts priced from $62 to $142. Pastas average around $35, entrées about $39, and starters and salads hover near $17. The wine list strikes a balance between quality and range, with 18 wines available by the glass (averaging $18) and about 75 bottles spanning from $37 all the way up to an impressive $640. It’s the kind of menu meant to make both pasta purists and steakhouse devotees very happy — but also spark some debate about whether luxury dining in Saratoga is evolving too fast.
Hours at Noah’s Italian are set from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Sunday, extending to 11 p.m. from Thursday through Saturday. The restaurant will remain closed on Mondays. If you’re hoping to get a table soon, good luck — opening night on Tuesday is completely sold out according to its page on OpenTable (https://www.opentable.com/r/noahs-italian-saratoga-springs). Even midweek reservations are going fast, with only early or late seating still showing availability.
That frenzy is no coincidence. OpenTable reports that more than 400 reservations poured in within just 12 hours when booking went live on November 20. Expectations are high, and for good reason. Frese’s rapid rise through the Capital Region’s restaurant world has been nothing short of remarkable. He first burst onto the scene in August 2023 at The Roosevelt Room in North Greenbush (https://www.timesunion.com/tablehopping/article/roosevelt-room-moscatiello-restaurant-18264400.php), where his ambitious menu drew early acclaim. Less than a year later, he moved to Siro’s (https://www.timesunion.com/tablehopping/article/noah-frese-roosevelt-room-siro-s-19514564.php), quickly impressing the ownership team enough that they decided to center their next restaurant venture around him — and even name it after him.
The journey to opening Noah’s Italian hasn’t been simple. Renovation plans for 43 Phila Street — which once hosted dining institutions like Mother Goldsmith’s (dating back to 1939) and more recently The District, which closed in February 2024 — expanded significantly over the past year, Frese explained. Ownership includes Siro’s general manager Kevin Decker, who also operates The Wild Horse nearby, and Siro’s principal owner Peter Spitalny and his wife, Elena. Frese himself holds a minority partnership stake, showing how personally invested he is in the new venture.
Inside, Noah’s Italian seats about 180 guests across two levels. While early discussions included ideas for turning the upstairs into a supper club with live entertainment, Frese says current plans focus on full a-la-carte dining throughout the restaurant. Still, the team hasn’t ruled out future evolutions — perhaps a supper club or themed dining experience once guest feedback and patterns emerge. Could Saratoga be gearing up for its next supper-club renaissance? Time will tell.
The leadership team in the kitchen reads like a lineup of regional all-stars. Alongside Frese and Petrosino, you’ll find executive sous chef Dylan Burkhart (formerly of Black & Blue Steak and Crab in Guilderland), and sous chefs Julia Evans and Dillon Keeney — both veterans of Siro’s and The Wild Horse. Together, they’re crafting a culinary experience meant to honor Italian tradition while speaking to today’s diners.
Noah’s Italian isn’t just another restaurant; it’s a sign of how Saratoga’s food scene continues to raise the stakes, literally and figuratively. But the bigger question is — as fine dining in this small city grows ever more ambitious, is it still about the food, or has it become about the spectacle? What do you think? Should Saratoga’s culinary spotlight shine brighter on innovation or on its classic roots? Drop your thoughts below — this one’s bound to stir up some passionate debate.
