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Join the Table for a Piece of Pizza Pie Help yourself to a piece of the North Country's best pizza Story and photos by Ashlie Doran
Sam Spagnolo, father and owner of the family business in Potsdam - Sergi's Italian Restaurant - has made something special. All pizzas are made from scratch using the secret family recipes brought from Italy and made and served by the family. Only fresh ingredients are used. No pre-processed, shipped out, and frozen ingredients compare to the freshly made Sergi's pastas, breads, pizzas, and pizza rolls.
Opened in 1967 as a pizzeria, it expanded in 1972 to an Italian restaurant. It's one of the oldest restaurants in Potsdam, New York. In 1996, a banquet hall was added for all occasions. Eating here, you join several of the hundreds of patrons who have made Sergi's pizza a part of their life. Lisa Sergi, Mr. Spagnolo's daughter, said they have had requests for pizzas to be delivered to as far away as California by once-local college graduates who now call the West Coast their home. The students miss the pizza, she said, when they leave the area. Around town, there is free delivery. The only other place you can find authentic pizza made by members of the Sergi family is in Canton, New York. "It's always been the best restaurant in Potsdam." Look around. There are tables of college students, and families experiencing the Italian ambiance. The walls are painted with scenes of Italian gardens and landscapes. Pastel colors incite a grand feeling of tranquil Italian life. Sculptures, fountains, placid country sides are pictured, all surrounding the diners at an intimate booth or table. The placemats have maps of Italy on them bordered closely with a napkin and silverware set with care.
The sunlight drifting in from the front door on Market Street catches the tiny glass pieces of the chandeliers on the extravagant ceilings. The stucco is swirled in a rich texture. In layers, the chandelier is featured in a deeper section of the ceiling cut into an angular shape to give the room greater depth. In the next room over, the sun shines through the large front window upon the families and friends joined at tables surrounded by framed posters about Italy in frames. Jack Koplowitz, a chemical engineer professor at Clarkson University, joined Adam Krzyzak, a computer science professor at Concordia University in Montreal, and his sons Tomasz, 20, a McGill student, and Jakub, 16, for lunch on March 30. "It's always been the best restaurant in Potsdam," Koplowitz said. Eating spaghetti at a previous dining experience, Koplowitz said he asked Spagnolo why it is so special. He said Spagnolo told him everything was made right there with quality components. And yet, the prices remain reasonable, spaghetti with tomato sauce costs only $6.95. "It's the best pizza in the North Country." Koplowitz and his guests, were attentively waited on by Teresa Lasala, Spagnolo's sister. The bill, brought in good time, is fair. A 15 inch large pizza of eight slices costs $13 dressed with pizza toppings that can include pepperoni, sausage, mushrooms, onions, green peppers, and anchovies. Specialty pizza toppings choices are diverse and cost $1.50 more. Also, the restaurant offers a healthy option of whole wheat dough for all pizzas. The families of Mark Englert, his wife, Candy, and young son, Wyatt, joined Ed and Betsy Kinsley, and their young daughter, Kathryn, for dinner on March 30.
The Englerts, from Massena (about a half-hour from Potsdam), have been frequents to the restaurant for many years. Mark has eaten at the restaurant since he was 16 years old, so for around 23 years now. The Kinsleys, originally from Florida, are a Coast Guard family that was recently transferred to the Massena area. Ed now works to secure the U.S. – Canadian border. Betsy said they have adjusted to the North Country. "We like to blossom where we're planted," she said. For their first time at the restaurant, the Kinsleys said they were impressed. The ceilings, ambience and atmosphere of the restaurant impressed them the most. "It's traditional Italian [food] cooked by Italians," Mark Englert said. "It's the best pizza in the North Country." |
Sergi's Italian Restaurant, Pizzeria and Banquet Hall 10 Market Street Hours: Wednesday and Thursday Friday and Saturday Sunday Sergi's Canton Italian Restaurant, Pizzeria, and Banquet Hall 31 Main Street
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