The Paper Dragon opens amid significant Downtown development
Significant development in downtown Albany has attracted new restaurateur Jeffrey Via, with a grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony for The Paper Dragon held January 9.
Noting the $10 million Clinton Square DRI Award and $80 million Redburn portfolio investments as among the factors contributing heavily to the choice of location, The Paper Dragon opening follows a 20-plus year restaurant industry career for Via. With a background comprised of fine dining and molecular gastronomy, he sought, in opening his own restaurant, common ground between the simplicity of everyday food and the caliber experience associated with fine dining.
Partner Melissa Salamone being native to the Capital District brought the pair to the area, with Via seeking to establish his culinary roots here by bringing together a confluence of his passion for Asian food and accessible fine dining. Fusing the familiar with a new twist brought about a menu that includes Breakfast Sushi Rolls in Lox and Omlette varieties, which have been received with great enthusiasm, Via said. With an eye on helping to attract people Downtown on weekends, the eatery is serving up a Dim Sum Brunch each Saturday. Other menu items include Shrimpdawg featuring an in-house made shrimp hotdog, kimchi slaw, miso tomato jam, and wasabi grain mustard; Peanut Thai Noodle Salad; and Veg Head featuring a tofu scramble, potato, veg hash, avocado, tomato, braised greens, and wheat points.
“I am so happy and honored to have a home Downtown and be part of the tremendous growth in this city. The best parts have been having my son be a part of it and meeting so many of our neighbors and new friends,” said Via. “We’ve experienced an incredible amount of community support already, making this experience even more rewarding than we could have anticipated.”
The Paper Dragon is located at 5 Clinton Square and open 7:00 AM-4:00 PM Monday-Friday and 10:00 AM-3:00 PM Saturday.
Watch the ribbon cutting ceremony | Read the full press release here
Caption: From left: Community liaison from Assemblymember John McDonald III’s office Michael Saccoman, Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan, Jeffrey Via, Melissa Salamone, Downtown Albany Business Improvement District executive director Georgette Steffens, and Legislator Sam Fein at the ribbon cutting ceremony for The Paper Dragon.
