Recordpub.com - Alessi's moves to Ravenna

By Marchaè Grair

Record-Courier staff writer

The grand opening of Alessi's Restaurant at North Chestnut Street in Ravenna will bring the familiar faces and cooking styles of Tony and Candy Alessi back to Portage County.

The pair, who previously owned Garrett's Mill in Garrettsville and The Welshfield Inn in Troy, will unveil their newest endeavor at 4 p.m. Saturday.

Alessi's Restaurant will serve Italian and American food with a touch of French tastes, according to Tony Alessi.

"This is going to be the place to be," he said. "I can't wait. We have a good following of loyal customers. Hopefully, they'll know we're back."

Although the exterior of Alessi's has not changed since the building's occupation by M.D. Shaker's, a martini bar, the Alessis have been working hard to transform the inside of their business.

Alessi's also will have a full-service bar with a variety of beverages.

For the restaurant's new, family-oriented atmosphere, the Alessis replaced lounge couches from M.D. Shaker's with tables and chairs for 80 people.

"My wife and I are really going to make this a nice place to eat for families with good food," Tony Alessi said. "We're going to serve lunch and dinner, early bird meals, and we'll have kids menus. It's a bar, but it's going to be a family restaurant."

A good meal won't cost customers too much.

"Our prices range from $6.99 to around $13 or $14, it's moderate," Tony Alessi said. "We're going to do a $1.99 spaghetti night on Monday."

Tony Alessi and his son-in-law will do much of the cooking, introducing some of the family's signature recipes.

"We do a heck of a seafood pasta with alfredo sauce and our veal is second to none," he said. "I can't wait to get a sauté pan in my hand."

Meanwhile, Candy Alessi will ensure customer service in the restaurant is above par.

"Our servers are the best of the best," Tony Alessi said.

Alessi's is the first of two restaurants the pair want to start in Ravenna. They would like to put a buffet-style restaurant where Raven's used to be once their first business is running smoothly.

"I'd like to turn it into a nice all-you-can-eat place where you can eat for $10," Tony Alessi said. "I was told there are around 2,100 people per square mile in Ravenna; there's plenty of (business) to go around."

Alessi's Restaurant will provide about 25 jobs to the Ravenna area, and he anticipates his buffet restaurant could provide around 30 jobs.

Tony Alessi is grateful he can contribute to the community, but even more grateful he had help from his friends Matt Coates and Kent Lilick to get his business off the ground.

"They really want to see something good happen in Ravenna," Tony Alessi said of his friends.

After the grand opening, Alessi's normal business hours will be 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. from Monday to Thursday and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.