Serafina Brings Famous Pasta and Pizza to Downtown White Plains

April 26, 2011 - PRLog -- PHOTO CAPTION: At today’s “Pasta-Cutting” opening ceremony for Serafina in White Plains were (left to right): Christine Sculti, Special Assistant to Westchester County Executive; Vittorio Assaf, co-owner, Serafina; White Plains Mayor Tom Roach; Fabio Granato, co-owner, Serafina; Louis Cappelli, President, Cappelli Enterprises; Ben Boykin, White Plains Common Council; Rick Ammirato, Executive Director, White Plains BID

PRESS RELEASE:
A “Pasta Cutting” marked the opening at Serafina, a popular pasta and pizza restaurant with locations in Manhattan, East Hampton and Brazil, which made its suburban debut today celebrating with owners Fabio Granato and Vittorio Assaf at the corner of Main Street and Renaissance Square.

The prime location, located at the heart of Renaissance Square and adjacent to The Ritz-Carlton, Westchester, makes the restaurant an ideal spot for a business or friendly lunch.  Families are welcome to bring their bambini for a fun and delicious dinner.  Serafina’s “Welcome Home,” philosophy entitles guests to feel that they can come for a wonderful meal with a casual atmosphere at any time with anyone.

“We are excited to bring our Northern Italian cuisine and comfortable atmosphere to White Plains, which is quickly becoming its own bustling city,” says Vittorio Assaf, Serafina co-owner. “Many of our customers from Manhattan and East Hampton live in Westchester and appreciate exceptional food and hospitality. We are pleased to share our passion for Italian cuisine with them and introduce our concept to others.”

The dishes on the menu originate from family recipes handed down from generations of cooks and adapted by Assaf and his team of professional chefs. Their famous thin-crust pizzas are made with “00” Italian flour, filtered water, extra virgin olive oil and Sicilian sea salt. The restaurant features a bar and wood-burning pizza where patrons can watch the pizza chefs at work. The entrée selections feature several seafood, poultry, and meat items prepared on a wood-burning grill.  Everything is made fresh with the highest quality of ingredients.

Serafina provides a relaxed atmosphere that is inviting to everyone. The restaurant’s foods focus on local, fresh ingredients. Co-owner Fabio Granato states, “This enables us to offer not only our traditional Northern Italian cuisine but our menus include popular local dishes as well. When people come to Serafina we want them to feel at home.”

After undergoing extensive renovations, Serafina seats 90 inside and can seat 40 outdoors for dining al fresco. New floor-to-ceiling windows along the street can be opened in warm weather to create an airy and welcoming atmosphere. Serafina’s bright yellow umbrellas will shade the sidewalk café, and the restaurant’s signature frescos adorn the walls, adding to the warm and comfortable feeling of home.

Prices are affordable with appetizers ranging from $7 to $19, entrees ranging from $17 to $28 and desserts at $8.  Serafina in White Plains will offer its popular "Bambini" menu for children.

Serafina is open everyday from 11 a.m. – 11 p.m. Valet parking is available at The Ritz-Carlton, Westchester for $5 with validation from the restaurant. For additional details or information please call (914) 288-9300.

OUR STORY
Serafina Restaurant Group was conceived when Vittorio Assaf and Fabio Granato made a pact while traumatically lost at sea. The two friends agreed to open a restaurant serving the best pizza and pasta in the world if they were to survive the ordeal. In 1995, they fulfilled their promise by launching the highly acclaimed Serafina Fabulous Pizza. Following the success of their first location, they have gone on to open Serafina Fabulous Grill, Serafina Osteria, Serafina Broadway and Serafina at The Time Hotel.

Expanding their culinary horizons, in 2003 the talented Italian duo teamed up with one of Vittorio’s best friends, Le Bernardin’s Eric Ripert, to create Geisha, an immensely popular Japanese fusion destination on the Upper East Side. In 2008, they opened Brasserie Cognac in the Theater District where Chef Florian Hugo, a great-great-great grandson of poet Victor Hugo, serves fine French cuisine. Most recently, the two embarked on a Mexican adventure by creating Mañana with the help of Chef Omar Luna and Mama Enriqueta Mendez from Mexico City. Vittorio and Fabio energetically guarantee comfort, excitement and fabulous food at every location!