OLEAN MENU: The Castle, Casey’s Steakhouse, the Beef and Barrel,
the Old Library Restaurant, Century Manor, Attard’s, Angee’s,
Lucia’s, the Ho-Sta-Geh … to name just a few.

The names of these “across-the-border” restaurants – past and
present – are part of a tradition of good eating in the Olean,
N.Y., area that conjures up warm memories for Bradford residents of
a certain age.

When the Greater Olean Area Chamber of Commerce recently
announced the inductees into its 2009 Taste of Olean Hospitality
Wall of Fame, it brought back recollections of weekend trips to
Olean for shopping, dinner and maybe a movie.

We read about the inductees in the Olean Times Herald and
thought we’d pass the background along to our readers, hoping to
jog some of your memories, too. Today and tomorrow, we’ll tell you
about this year’s awardees – Quinto and Dora Bagazzoli, William
“Bill” Augostini, Nicholas “Nick” Fratercangelo and Louis
Marra.

Our story about Quinto and Dora Bagazzoli has a Bradford
connection.

Quinto came to this country from Sarnano, Italy, and was working
in Bradford when Olean restaurateur Patsy Piccioli invited him to
be the chef at his restaurant in Olean – which he did. In fact,
Quinto and his wife Dora worked at Piccioli’s restaurant until its
closing. (Dora, too, was from the Sarnano and Quinto taught her all
the tricks of the trade.)

Quinto went on to work at the Holiday Inn and later was head
chef for Bartlett Country Club.

He opened his own restaurant on Sept. 25, 1980 – appropriately
named Quinto’s, a small family run Italian restaurant at 206
Coleman St. Quinto died in 1987 but Dora ran the restaurant 11 more
years with the help of her son, Enzo.

Bill Augostini started in the food business washing dishes at
the L’Alcove Restaurant on North Fourth Street in 1952. After
receiving a degree in food services and restaurant management, he
worked at the Castle Restaurant until 1963. He later was food
service director for Olean School District and, in the 1970s,
purchased Der Hut and Tavern and changed the name to Augustini’s.
He retired in 1991.

More tomorrow on the inductees who, according to the Chamber,
provided all the important elements of a great restaurant –
“inviting atmosphere, friendly staff and impeccable food in its
stylish, artistic presentation and its innovative flavor
combination.”