(Last UPDATED 12/20/2022) Formoli’s Bistro closed on April 12, 2018 “after a lively going-away party that same day.” per the Sacramento Bee Aimal Formoli is reported to have accepted a position in an upcoming new venture. NEW: See Update below.
Original Post
Formoli’s Bistro, an East Sacramento neighborhood restaurant celebrating its 10th Anniversary this month, is located on J Street near 39th Street.
Formoli’s has many regulars who frequent the restaurant – and for good reason. Husband and wife Aimal Formoli and Suzanne Ricci have created an inviting, comfortable venue serving good food. Add to that the friendly and helpful service and you have people coming back again and again. The menu changes frequently – except for a few customer “favorites” such as the whiskey burger.
The Bistro dining room is attractive and features mixed media artwork that is three dimensional – unusual and interesting. There is also seating at the bar and on the outside patio. The patio is a great place to dine on a nice summer evening.
SacramentoRevealed.com – All Things Sacramento (from a personal perspective)
Menu/Service Review
A friend and I recently visited Formoli’s for dinner prior to going to the theatre. I had a Groupon for two glasses of wine and a flat bread pizza. To that we added a salad to share to complete the meal.
My friend ordered a glass of zinfandel and I ordered a pinot noir. The pour was generous – and the wine exceptionally good. It seems to me that Formoli’s puts a lot of thought into their wine menu.
The Flatbread of the Day featured a Bolognese sauce with bacon – and it was very tasty indeed. The beet and Brussel sprout salad was equally as good and paired nicely with the flatbread.
Our server was attentive and helpful – answering several questions we had about the menu and wine.
Like many small restaurants Formoli’s Bistro opens for lunch (11:30 p.m.-2:30 p.m.) and then closes down until it reopens for dinner (5:00 p.m.-9:30 p.m.). On Friday and Saturday Formoli’s is open until 10:00 p.m.
Congrats to Formoli’s Bistro on their 10th Anniversary – I selfishly wish them many more!
Update
(12/20/2022) A recent article in Sacramento Magazine revealed that Aimal Formoli is now working as the chef for Sequoia at The Cannery, an event space.
The article also lays out the reason for the closure of Formoli’s Bistro in 2018. The closure was due to a combination of things including the restaurant’s lease up for renewal and, with two young sons, both Aimal and his wife Suzanne Ricci feeling burned out.
Today, Formoli and Ricci are partners in Sequoia with Kevin Barnett. Ricci handles the business end, including writing the menus, while Formoli works his magic.
See related blog posts: Walk Down Memory Lane and Formoli’s Bistro Revisited and Annual Sacramento Restaurant Reviews Recap (2017)
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