Maestro's on Broadway will soon be getting a new chef,
as owner/chef Danny Petrosino is leaving his fine Mio Posto
on Putnam Street, trading an excellent eight-table
restaurant for a much larger challenge.

When a high school friend whom I haven’t seen in about 30 years came through town to meet for lunch, I had to pick one among the many terrific downtown restaurants — and chose well with Maestro’s at the Van Dam.
We lucked out with seats at the last open table for two on the porch, perched above Broadway and set back against the windows. We both enjoyed large chunks of lobster elegantly presented on long, thin platters with peas and greens. Perfect for a warm don’t-let-summer-end day. The homemade dark chocolate was a sweet ending with our French press coffee.

Maestro’s came to mind because this morning I caught Steve Barnes’ writeup in the Times Union about an upcoming switch in chefs involving another one of downtown Saratoga Springs’ finest and most intimate restaurants, Mio Posto.

Barbara Shrager Lombardo and
Pat Quinlan Atkinson -- adding our maiden names
as a nod to our roots as high school pals --
show off our lobster salads at Maestro's.

A member of the Maestro’s staff told me that Mio Posto chef-owner Danny Petrosino this fall is becoming executive chef of Maestro’s, whose owner-chef is taking a break from the business. Meanwhile, Barnes reports, Petrosino will be looking to sell his eight-table restaurant on Putnam Street. Petrosino has set the bar high for whomever ultimately takes over.

The number of excellent restaurants in this city is amazing. I was relieved to discover on Travers Day that Sperry’s hasn’t lost its panache despite losing chef Dale Miller; I’m a duck aficionado, and the breast was flawless. And visiting cousins during Travers Week were impressed by both the food and the warm reception offered at the Crown Grill.

Though the movement of chefs is inevitable, I hope that one of my favorites stays exactly where he is: Executive Chef Fabrizio Bazzani of Chianti Il Ristorante may have a low profile, but he has high standards in the kitchen. His consistently excellent, creative cooking keeps Chianti’s bustling year-round. I enjoy seeing him in the open kitchen, whether I’m trying his specials or sticking with my standbys.