In the summer of 2017, the ephemeral
bliss subsided when the restaurant was
informed that they would have to close
for repairs necessary to improve the
pier's integrity. And though they were
told they could start back up again in
the spring of 2018—right in time for
wedding season—delays continued
through the year and Battello would not
reopen as scheduled.
Eventually the famed 185-seat
venue—helmed by a powerhouse team
of Ryan DePersio (Chef/Partner),
Cory Checket (Managing Partner), Joe
Calafiore (Director of Operations) and
Dominique Borzomati (Director of
Events)—was allowed to reopen in early
2019. It's true, the 17-month hiatus was
a trying time for the staff, but they hit
the ground running and haven't looked
back.
"We've retained about 20 percent of
our front of house, as well as some others
that used to work here," Borzomati told
me. "It's a true testament to how good
it is to work for this group. We're like
one big family—cooks and servers
have returned because they're happier
working there." From there, the Battello
Four casted new talent to bring them
back up to full strength at 96, which
was ultimately the restaurant's greatest
challenge —spending two weeks training
day and night to meet the team's high
expectations. And lead mixologist Ray
Keane also returned to the fold.
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