Ancora! - (Near Utica, NY)

Bret Isaacs Im from Brooklyn, so I have a special place in my heart for the old school, Italian-American, garlic and oil/red sauce joints of my youth. There are plenty of restaurants that have that style of menu, but the restaurants that do it well are becoming rare. I’m adding Pennell’s to that elite list. Ambiance: We were there for a sixth-grade class reunion (don’t ask…just organize one for yourself…trust me, you’ll thank me later) where we dined in their party room in the back. Great for events. We had about 20 people. Seemed very homey in the rest of the restaurant. Food: Portions were sizable, so you’re not just ordering dinner, you’re taking home your lunch that you’re going to heat up and enjoy the next day. Everything was cooked beautifully, but the shining star was the NY Strip Steak. Staff: The thing that impressed me most though was the staff. The young woman who organized our event on the day—"Neigh-Alicia”—(of course that’s not how it’s spelled…I’m writing it phonetically) was delightful, thoughtful, responsive, and readily accommodating to our needs. Cameron and Talon (yes…as in an eagle’s claw) were so efficient, but more than that—were confident enough to interact and communicate with us directly so that their service made our event run more smoothly. And to top it all off… We were having so much fun that we were lingering too long after closing time. I have never been kicked out of an establishment so sweetly and politely. I’m dining at Pennell’s again when I’m back in this neck of the woods. You should too.

Geoffrey De Silva I would say this restaurant makes really good food like the sushi rolls and bento. However, there’s only one person both only managing and cooking/making the food by himself. He’s very nice and chill. If there’s an additional people there, it would be nice and quick. I know it’s a small and quiet business but there’s a potential of this restaurant if there’s enough people in here.

Tony Santiago My mother had passed away so we had an after burial luncheon here. I found this out because upon searching for a place they had a menu specifically for this. The staff and manager were above and beyond. The food choices were excellent. In a sad situation, everyone in my party enjoyed the food and atmosphere. Its also very close to St. Raymonds Cemetery so we didnt have to travel far to get here.

Rebecca Leah This place is just so fun! The food is really good but not overly expensive. They’re super willing to do modifications which I was very appreciative of. Our waitress was very nice and accommodating. The view is great. We went for brunch be ended up eating of the lunch menu so we’ll have to come back to try out the breakfast. 10/10

Jeanette James So I always have the Salmon burger with extra sauce. I mustve devoured mine before I get a chance to take a picture but I did get a snap of my cousin grilled chicken burger instead

Lev Zvi We had our wedding rehearsal dinner here. Was amazing. The space is very charming and intimate. Its V-shaped so we could see all of our guests. Food and service were amazing.