The O-town Scene

April 21, 2011

The O-town Scene - Oneonta, NY

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Steak holders Upscale steakhouse Prime 289 opens in Oneonta after a year of renovations and planning Story and photos by Cassandra Miller When David Zummo and Adrian Origoni bought the space at 289 Main St. when the Sego wine bar sign was still hanging outside a year ago, they thought the space was move-in ready, a turn-key project. After a year of renovations that included jacking up the entire floor from the basement to make it level, putting in a completely new bar and taking down sheet rock from the walls to expose as much brick as possible, the only original aspect of the front of the “turn-key” business was the triple sink. However, their business _ upscale steak- house Prime 289 _ opened Friday, and had 120 customers over the weekend, according to Zummo. “They didn’t want to cut corners,” said Origoni’s wife, Jacyln, who is helping at the restaurant and set up the business’s computer system. Opening a restaurant was something 49-year- old Zummo said he wanted to do before he turned 50. “We wanted to do something downtown and do something upscale and utilize a downtown building and generate foot traffic on Main Street,” Zummo said. They two said they have had the same visions for the restaurant, so their partnership has been relatively easy. “We just wanted to do a steakhouse with the best steaks possible,” Origoni said. “We felt that there was a place for a steakhouse because there aren’t a lot in the area.” 16 O-Town Scene April 21, 2011 This is the first time the two co- owners have shared the responsibility of owning a business, but both have experience running local busi- nesses on their own _ Zummo owns the Latte Lounge coffee shop on Main Street, and Origoni owns the Sip and Sail Tavern on Water Street. The two are still Benjamin Patton Co-owner Adrian Origoni (right) sits at a table at Prime 289 with hise wife, Jaclyn. running their busi- nesses full-time in addition to Prime 289, which is currently open for dinner Thursday through Saturday and from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. (Zummo also runs a coffee-roasting business based in Albany.) “They work so well together, and their tastes just complement each other,” said Georgia Pau- lino, Zummo’s partner, who also helps manage Latte Lounge. “Except for David and I, they’re a dream team.” The two men decided the decor and created the menu together. “It was easy to come up with a menu because we had the same vision,” Origoni said. “We would always talk about food [before going into business together], and we both had a passion for food.” Both have experience in the food industry. Origoni managed an Italian restaurant for seven years, and Zummo is a Culinary Institute of America-trained chef. The menu includes an array of prime cut meats, including hanger steaks, filet mignon and a bone-in Delmonico, among others. In ad- dition to beef, the menu also includes chicken, lamb, duck, seafood and vegetarian dishes. Entrees range from less than $20 to around $40, with appetizers and salads available for less than $10. Many of the meats and some seafood are cooked in an infrared drawer broiler, which “will sear the exterior of anything in a matter of moments,” according to Zummo. “It locks in flavor and moisture and juices,” he said. Continued on Page 17

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