Alfresco's Italian Bistro

In 1912,

the Oneonta Milk Company became incorporated as the Oneonta Dairy Company. It utilized the latest in mill plant technology with facilities for hand washing bottles and milk cans, hand bottling milk products, as well as pasteurization capabilities. Since refrigeration was minimal, block ice was used to keep the products fresh. Milk was delivered house to house by the milkman seven days a week in a horse drawn wagon.Horses were employed by the Oneonta Dairy well into the 1950’s.

A picture circa 1915, of the horses, milk wagons, and milkmen are on display in the main dinning hall to the right of the entrance.

In 1943,

the Oneonta Dairy Company was purchased by R.B. Simonson who combined it with the South Side Dairy, a competitive company located on Southside Road next to what is now the Holiday Inn. Many improvements were made to the building during this period. Notably, the tile floors and walls which can still be seen in our main dining hall.

In 1946,

an addition on the northeast corner was built to accommodate an Italian Cheese manufacturing operation, now Alfresco’s banquet facilities. The business offices occupied the western two stories of the building, now the pizza area on the first floor and an office upstairs. A larger cooler was located directly behind the offices for the storage of milk products awaiting shipment, which was turned into Alfresco’s original dinning room featuring Italian countryside murals painted by Cynthia Marsh.

What–was–What back then...

Our deck,located on the southeastern corner of the building, now the structure at the Neahwah Park side of our raised garden bed, was where the milk was delivered from area farms. Our main dining hall, was the main processing plant for the Oneonta Dairy Company. The main floor was the machine-washed bottle and milk processing room for the Oneonta Dairy Company. The second floor was where the milk was pasteurized and “piped” back down to the lower room to cool for bottling, then packed in milk crates and stored in the cooler via conveyors. The large room at the rear of the building was where the boilers for pasteurizing were located. There was also a horse barn where the flood control barrier now exists. Before the horses went to their stalls at the end of the day the milkmen would be responsible for grooming and feeding them.They would then clean their milk wagons before they were stored in the barn.The barn was torn down in the 1960’s.

In 1964,

the Oneonta Dairy plant was purchased by Prospect Dairy and the new owners moved the operations to Stamford, New York and the building was sold.

Since 1964, the building changed hands several times. Angellotti Distributors occupied 26 Main Street into the 1970’s. Tru Value Hardware set up shop in what is now the banquet room, Wilsons Painting occupied what is now our main dinning hall, and Sitzmark Ski Shop was established in what is now the pizza area and front dining room in the mid 1970’s. These three areas then changed from Christmas Coverings to the Oneonta Bubble Bath & Hot Tubs, and then to a Ceramic Shop in the early 1980’s. Ostego-Getters (a printing shop and advertising firm) and ATT (repair and maintenance) occupied the banquet room into the early 1990’s. Soccertown (a retail shop dedicated to all things Soccer) resided in the rear room until 1995. The Saddle Shack (an equestrian retail shop) occupied the front until 1987.

In 1987,

Elisabeth and Jerry Webster opened the doors to Alfresco’s Italian Bistro located in the front portion of the building. During the early years, Alfresco’s grew in clientele but not size.

In 1995,

a need for more space was allocated when the Webster’s purchased 26 Main Street and expanded Alfresco’s to its present day size. To retain its Alfrescan charm our Italian garden atmosphere was created in the main dining hall. The front area became dedicated to pizza and takeout to accommodate patrons more comfortably. The rear rooms were designed to entertain small banquets and meetings of all types and display works from various local artists.

Elisabeth and Jerry incorporated the original brick and keystones from the famous D&H Roundhouse of Oneonta into the arches and steps. The brick face hearth and slate “special boards” were salvaged from the “Old Main” building of the State College at Oneonta where Jerry is an Alumni.

As a final touch we continue to landscape the grounds around the Restaurant to welcome to all patrons visiting this very remarkable building. We are proud to own, maintain and enhance our “slice” of Oneonta History. We would like to thank Paul F. Simonson, former owner of the Oneonta Dairy, and the many patrons who have contributed and continue to share their memories of our building and its heritage in Oneonta.

Our Management & staff welcome you to come into the outdoors and dine Alfresco's!

A SLICE OF HISTORY