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[Pages S1270-S1271]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
RECONGIZING SARDUCCI'S
Mr. LEAHY. Madam President. I read an article about Sarducci's
celebrating 25 years in Montpelier.
Marcelle and I have enjoyed eating at Sarducci's since it first
opened and are thrilled with what Carol Paquette and Jeff Butterfield
have done with the restaurant.
I remember when they first opened and how Dorothy Korshak, the
original founder, wondered whether anybody would come in. I remember
telling Dorothy that, if they keep providing food that good, people
will show up.
My mother was born in Vermont, a first generation Italian-American.
We always ate Italian food, both at my grandparents' home in South
Ryegate, VT or at our home in Montpelier, VT. It feels like going home
to go to Sarducci's. It is one of our favorite restaurants.
I ask unanimous consent that the article from thebridge entitled
``Sarducci's Celebrates 25 Years in Montpelier'' be printed in the
Record.
There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in
the Record, as follows:
[From thebrigde Jan. 23, 2019]
Sarducci's Celebrates 25 Years in Montelier
(By Tim Simard)
On a recent sunny and chilly January afternoon, Sarducci's
Restaurant founder and co-owner Carol Paquette relaxed by a
front table and looked back on 25 years. Sitting alongside
head chef and new co-owner Jeff Butterfield, Paquette
marveled at surviving two-and-a-half decades in the
restaurant business--a momentous achievement. This past
weekend, the Montpelier institution quietly celebrated the
milestone birthday.
Paquette can remember Sarducci's first day quite clearly--
Jan. 19, 1994. It was a Wednesday.
``We opened at 4 pm. It was freezing outside. Dorothy
Korshak [founder and former business partner] and I had no
idea who might or how many people might stop in. We really
hadn't done any advertising to let people know we were
opening,'' she said.
But people knew. Oh, they knew. Within the first hour of
business, it was clear that Montpelier was ready for
Sarducci's.
``The doors opened and people just kept coming in. We
hadn't planned on so many that night, but by the end we had
served close to 200 people,'' Paquette said, still in awe of
that first night's success.
Paquette attributes Sarducci's early success to a lack of
restaurants in Montpelier at that time. She said locals were
``desperate'' for a place where families could sit down in a
cozy atmosphere with the whole family and have an amazing,
authentic Italian dinner.
The signature wood-fired oven was also a unique feature for
a Montpelier restaurant. Paquette and Korshak--who started
their partnership as coworkers at Julio's--researched Italian
restaurants in Boston, New York, and Chicago and noted the
popularity of these ovens.
``We saw the restaurants that had the wood-fired ovens were
becoming more and more popular,'' Paquette said.
Since those first days, Sarducci's has become a go-to
dining spot in the Capital City. In its 25 years, the
restaurant has renovated its space, added a deck overlooking
the Winooski River, and doubled its seating capacity, all
while keeping its menu remarkably consistent. Today,
Sarducci's enters a new chapter as it celebrates a quarter
century.
[[Page S1271]]
At end of 2018, Butterfield bought in to the business and
is now a co-owner alongside Paquette. Butterfield, an East
Montpelier native and graduate of the New England Culinary
Institute, has been with Sarducci's for nearly seven years.
His experience pre-Sarducci's included running kitchens in
tourist locales from Charleston, S.C. to Stowe.
``When a sous chef position opened [in 2012], I jumped at
the chance. I was ready to move back home, and I fell in love
with this place on day one,'' Butterfield said.
Butterfield said that Sarducci's has a family atmosphere
amongst its employees that's unique to other places he's
worked. Paquette added that several employees have been with
the restaurant for years and even decades.
Butterfield was promoted to head chef in 2014; around the
same time Korshak decided to retire, leaving Paquette as sole
owner. But the demands of running one of the city's most
popular restaurants became challenging for one person.
Butterfield pitched himself to be Sarducci's next co-owner.
Paquette knew it would be the right fit.
``He's so good at what he does, he's super smart, and his
ego doesn't get in the way. That last part is very
important,'' she said.
Sarducci's 25-year story is one of growth and consistency.
Customers know what they'll get each time they walk through
the doors. The pollo al marsala and salmone cucina remain the
most popular menu items, as they have since the first year.
``Montpelier has changed a lot, but we're still here. We're
still serving great Italian food that's affordable, fresh,
and locally sourced,'' Butterfield said.
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