February - Albany Colonie Regional Chamber of Commerce

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The interior dining room at the CaféA Main Street view of Café CapriccioDowntowndelicacies,ItalianinspirationPictured l-r: JimRua, daughter Anita,and son and currentchef, FrancoFive Course Conversation with Jim Rua, owner, Café CapriccioPaella Valenciana, oneof Jim Rua’s specialtiesGive us a brief history of Café Capriccio:Café Capriccio was established in 1982 on Grand Street in downtown Albany. The neighborhood, athriving residential and commercial center in the first half of the 20th century, was home to Albany’srobust Italian and Jewish populations. There were once many fine restaurants in the area, especiallyItalian restaurants. Lombardo’s, for example, located on lower Madison Avenue, dates from the early1900s and remains one of Albany’s best known downtown establishments.I had lived in the neighborhood since the late 1970s and previously operated a restaurant there,Casa Verde, on the corner of Madison Avenue and Philip Street. Casa Verde opened in 1976 and waspopular for about four years until I decided in 1980 that restaurant life was not the right choice forme. Soon, I regretted the decision.Two years later, I came to my senses after seeing an old bar on Grand Street, two steps below thesidewalk, begging for a renaissance. It had been a local pub and pizzeria named Lo Presti’s whosefaded interior looked like an old hunting lodge with knotty pine on the walls and tile on the floor.The place felt like home to me. Neighborhood conditions at that time Café Capriccio opened weretentative, but I felt comfortable downtown and was not tempted to seek a location uptown or in asuburban environment.Locating downtown was also in keeping with my intention to create an intimate trattoria (or café)setting, similar to those I had enjoyed as a young adult visiting Italy and Spain. Along with memorablecuisine, I was equally impressed by the warmth and intimacy found in small restaurantsthroughout Europe. My objective with Café Capriccio was, and remains, to re-create an environmentand menu like those I have enjoyed and continue to enjoy in Europe, particularly in small towns andout-of-the-way-places.For the past dozen years, we have organized group travel to Italy in part so that we may sharethe Italian cultural and restaurant experience and also to stay current on developments that may be14| acchamber.org | techvalley.org
incorporated into the Café Capriccio experience.Whenever possible, my family has traveled with ourgroups. Franco Rua, 27, head chef at Café Capriccio,has traveled to Italy many times and is well preparedto continue the Café’s culinary traditions for anothergeneration.How would you describe yourrestaurant’s cuisine?Since its inception, Café Capriccio has featuredregional Italian cuisine, with occasional offerings fromSpain and Provence. The menu changes several timeseach year, reflecting seasonal variations and the chefs’inspirations.What are some of your signature dishes?Signature dishes include: Greens & BeansPassannante, Eggplant with Four Cheeses, Pasta withSquid in Ink Sauce, and a variety of risotto preparationthat change throughout the year.Our menu always includes selections from NorthItalian cuisine, such as pasta with Wild Boar(Cinghiale), Ossobuco di Vitello, Steak Florentine andother delectations from around the country, includingSicily, Puglia and Napoli. The regional variations areas much a signature of Café Capriccio cuisine as areindividual dishes. At this time, we also offer a wonderfulpork loin cooked over wood and then finishedwith a classic Spanish Romesco sauce –– our currenttribute to the great cuisine of Spain.What are your hours of operation?Café Capriccio is open every night for dinner from5:30pm. Reservations can be made at 518.465.0439.What do you find most challenging aboutbeing an independent restaurant ownerin the region? What is most rewarding?The restaurant business is challenging, whether independentlyoperated or part of a corporate group. Myfamily and I have chosen to create a business thatreflects our interests and experiences and is true to theculinary and cultural traditions we admire. We believethat if we are able to maintain the high standards wehave established for ourselves our business will succeed.Although we feel the pressure of weak economicconditions and increased competition from chainestablishments with vast marketing budgets, CaféCapriccio is in its 28th year of operation and we hopeto continue into the future. Our greatest satisfaction isthat we have endured for almost three decades followingour “bliss,” and we are proud that Café Capricciois again Metroland’s Best Restaurant (2009) and wasvoted “Best Eatery of the Past 30 Years” in Metroland’s30th anniversary issue.=February 2010 | VISIONS | 15
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February - Albany Colonie Regional Chamber of Commerce

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