Serafina Opens in White Plains

Sunny skies and prominent members of the White Plains government welcomed Italian restaurant Serafina to the city on Tuesday before it opens to the public.

Among those in attendance for the ceremonial "pasta cutting" were Mayor Thomas Roach and developer Louis Cappelli, a driving force behind bringing the restaurant to White Plains. With five locations already in the New York City area, Serafina brings a following with them to the corner of Main Street and Renaissance Square.

"We received many requests," said Serafina co-owner Fabio Granato. "There are so many people that lived in the area and worked here, and they always tell me 'I wish you would be here so we don't have to drive all the way to New York.' So that gave me the idea and motivated me to do this." 

Along with their New York City restaurants, Serafina is also located in San Paulo, Brazil. Granato and co-owner Vittorio Assaf will open a new branch in Philadelphia soon and have had further discussions about expansion throughout the United States, South America and Europe. Roach praised the restaurant's decor and expressed optimism in regards to the effect Serafina will have on White Plains.

"We're very happy to have Serafina in our city," said Roach. "They bring an excellent reputation and a creative menu...I go to a lot of these, and it's going to do very well." 

While the restaurant is well-known for its thin-crust pizza, the menu also features a number of red and white wines, champagnes, pastas, salads, fish, and focaccia from Northern Italy. 

"(The food) is made in a very simple way but with very good ingredients," said Granato. "It's a restaurant for everybody. Serafina is for mothers, kids, business people, boyfriends and girlfriends. It has a little something for everyone." 

Appetizers range from $7-$19 with entrées listed between $17-$28. The restaurant seats up to 90 customers inside and also has the option of dining al fresco. When the weather cooperates, as it did on Tuesday, Serafina can also seat 40 outside. Those who choose to eat inside will be able to look out onto Main Street as floor-to-ceiling windows line the interior.

Due to its prominent location, Cappelli believes that Serafina will breathe life into what he calls the most important corner in White Plains. Time will determine if Cappelli and Roach's optimism holds true, but as Assaf said, it was definitely "love at first sight" between White Plains and Serafina. 

"This is going to be a fantastic addition," said Cappelli. "It's what White Plains needs and it does show that we're on the move again. It's been a tough two years but all of us are coming back, and this is the starting point for that."

Cappelli was just one of the many in attendance on Tuesday who certainly see Serafina as more than just a new restaurant in White Plains.

"I always believed White Plains is perfectly situated and will bounce back stronger and better than we've ever been," said Rick Ammirato, executive director of White Plains Business Improvement District. "Having such a wonderful restaurant open up just kind of cements our place in the county as they city where you want to take your business."

Serafina will be open daily from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. with valet parking available at the neighboring Ritz-Carlton.  Serafina will be open for lunch beginning May 3.

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