FENTON, MI - A new dining experience is now available in downtown Fenton.
Tony Vulaj, one of the owners of Ciao Italian Bistro & Wine Bar, confirmed the restaurant opened Oct. 3 at its newest location, 110 S. Leroy Street, for dinner service.
"We've been remodeling for a little over a year now," said Vulaj of the approximately 4,000-square-foot building. "From what I was told, it used to be a pharmacy, old Hallmark (store)."
He also owns and operates two additional Ciao locations - in West Bloomfield and Brighton - with partners Robert and Nick Lulgjuraj and Steve Kaljaj.
Vulaj said they took interest in the Fenton location after hearing from several customers from Fenton who would visit the Brighton location.
"This opportunity presented itself right in the heart of downtown Fenton and we couldn't pass it up," he said. "It was too good to be true."
The location, which Vulaj described as a "traditional Italian restaurant," serves in-house sauces, desserts, and bread that comes with every meal.
"Our pastas are well noted," he said, including the Tortellini Diablo, a cheese-filled tortellini with tri-colored peppers, onions and garlic covered in a chipotle cream sauce.
The Pasta DiVinci dish comes complete with diver scallops, jumbo shrimp, and mussels sauteed in white wine, herbs and served on Capellini pasta in a palomino sauce.
Vulaj also highlighted the lamb chops and 22-ounce ribeye on the menu and daily fish specials. The restaurant also includes a full-service bar and private dining room that can seat up to 20 people.
The restaurant now is open only for dinner, but Vulaj expects to be open for lunch in the next two weeks, with Saturday and Sunday brunch in the works for the future.
Hours of operation for Ciao Italian Bistro & Wine Bar are currently 4 p.m.-10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 4 p.m.-11 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 4 p.m.-10 p.m. Sunday.