 The Preno family dining tradition of serving quality fine food in a warm, cozy, and friendly atmosphere is alive and flourishing at Russell’s Italian Restaurant, in Scranton.
Anyone familiar with the history of fine dining in the greater Scranton area can appreciate the tradition established by the Preno family over nearly a century of serving their clientele in a standard rarely experienced in our region. The menu consists of a sumptuous collection of Italian delicacies from appetizers and salads to the indescribable veal, chicken, seafood, and steak dinners, along with nightly “specials” and finishing with the requisite Italian desserts.
The original Preno’s Restaurant was founded in 1923 on Wyoming Avenue and moved to a location at Adams and Lackawanna Avenue in 1930. It remained there until it closed in the late 1990s as part of Scranton’s redevelopment plan that allowed for the construction of the new Hilton Hotel and Conference Center. Preno’s Restaurant included a bakery and Italian food market on the first floor of what was then the Hotel Belmont.
Following a fire that destroyed the hotel prior to World War II, Thomas and Margaret Preno, the great-grandparents of Russell Preno III, chef at Russell’s Restaurant- along with partner Claude DeAngelis– rebuilt Preno’s as a stand alone restaurant on the Belmont site. Thomas Preno’s son, Russell Sr., began his culinary career working in the dining car of the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad (DL&W) before taking over the proprietorship of the family restaurant. With the exception of his daughter, Peg, all of Russell Sr.’s children, including Russell II, JoAnne Grow, Mary Jo, and Tommy, worked in the restaurant.
Russell II left Preno’s in the 1980s to strike out on his own, opening the very successful Number Five Restaurant before purchasing the former Savino’s Tavern and Restaurant. In 1987, he opened Russell’s Restaurant at its current location, next to the East Scranton Little League Complex, in the Petersburg section of the city.
Russell III, who began washing dishes in the restaurant when he was only eight years old, recalled, “One day I was playing little league baseball and my mom (the former Debbie Stanko) came running over to the field to retrieve me because Beepo Gentile, the bartender, became ill. Then, when I graduated from Scranton Prep in 2001, I began bartending regularly three or four nights a week.”
“Growing up I had no babysitters other than my grandparents because the restaurant was my babysitter,” Russell III smiled as he explained.
He recalled gleefully that prominent luminaries and regular patrons- Scranton businessman Billy Calpin and the late Lackawanna County Coroner Bill Sweeney– “used to tease me by asking, ‘What are the curse words you are not allowed to say?’”
Russell III graduated from the University of Scranton in 2005 and immediately traveled to Florence, Italy, where he attended the Florence Italy Culinary Institute for training in the culinary arts and wine studies. Upon his return from Florence, he assumed the responsibilities of full-time chef from his father.
“My dad is still my lifeline and my go-to guy,” he said. “But, when I returned from Florence, I introduced a few new recipes to the traditional menu, along with an upgraded wine list to complement our fine cuisine. My mom runs the front-end, which provides me the opportunity to properly attend to the details demanded in the kitchen.”
Most of the employees are either relatives or part of the extended family, and the clientele is often long-time regulars like Attorney Tom Jones and Judy McGrath, who noted while enjoying a Cajun New York Strip steak, “This is the best steak in town.”
While ordering drinks at Russell’s very cozy and friendly bar, you are likely to be served by Ed Doherty, a cousin of Russell III, who has manned the bar for nearly two decades; and, in the kitchen you will find Tommy DeLeo, who he describes as “like a brother”, who started as a dishwasher at Preno’s Restaurant when he was 14 years old, some 41 years ago.
If you have not experienced this iconic Scranton eatery you would be well served to give it a try and if you have previously enjoyed its culinary delights, then you are well aware of your need to return as often as possible.
Russell’s is open daily from 4-11 p.m. For reservations, please call (570) 961-8949. |
