‘My heart’s really in it,’ new owner of Bellefonte area fan-favorite eatery says
After Alloy Kitchen opened in 2022, as a sister business to Mad McIntosh Cidery and situated within the Bellefonte area’s Titan Park, it quickly became a fan-favorite in the Happy Valley dining scene. Now, the restaurant is getting a new life, as restaurant founder Lori Sabatino turns over the reins to chef Tony Caracillo — and to ease customers’ potential worries, the new owner promises not to make too drastic of changes, and will continue the restaurant’s dedication to a creative, varied menu, as well as great customer service.
A State College native and State High alum, Caracillo started working in restaurants at 16. “I started on my birthday,” he said of his first job washing dishes at Cici’s Pizza. “I would’ve started at 15, but you have to be 16 to operate a dish machine. That was a great experience, being in high school and working in a restaurant.”
He went on to work at various restaurants throughout Centre County, with a multi-year stint at Otto’s Pub & Brewery, before moving to Arizona, where he continued working in the industry. During the pandemic, he moved back to State College to be near family, joining the Titan Hollow and Alloy Kitchen team in 2023.
“I started as a server and did some bartending, worked at some of the events and helped out in the kitchen. That’s when Lori approached me about possibly buying Alloy Kitchen,” Caracillo said, noting that he wanted to work in the front of house at first, so he could get a grasp on every role that goes into running a successful restaurant.
His ample experience in myriad roles at Alloy Kitchen thus far just adds on to his extensive experience working in a range of restaurants, from fast food to fast casual to fine dining, serving a variety of cuisines — experience he promises to bring together to build up what Sabatino has already created at Alloy Kitchen.
“I think it’s important to keep some of the things that makes Alloy Kitchen what it is, but also keep the menu small so we can really focus on doing what we’re doing right,” he explained. “This past weekend, we introduced a wing special that we sold out, so we’ll definitely be bringing that back again. ... I look forward to bringing a few surprises here in the next couple of months.”
That said, he promises to retain a few items that have been on the restaurant’s menu since the start, such as the shredded hot honey Brussels sprouts, shitake schnitzel, fish and chips, and chili crisp deviled eggs.
“As far as those dishes, I’m not going to touch them. I know people love them and I don’t want to start a riot,” he joked.
Looking at his plans for the future, Caracillo is eyeing up a second location for the restaurant or possibly a mobile food truck concept. He also wants to prioritize partnering with other local businesses, calling collaborations “very important” within the industry.
“When I lived in Arizona, we had these chef dinners where we could bring in all these different chefs from the Arizona Valley and each chef would have their own featured course,” he added. “I think that would be something really special to bring to the area and I think Alloy Kitchen is capable of pulling that off.”
Whatever the future holds for Alloy Kitchen, though, it’s clear that Caracillo isn’t going anywhere.
“I’ve already dedicated half my life to working in restaurants. I see it as something that I’m going to probably do for the rest of my life,” he said. “My heart’s really in it. It’s something I enjoy doing. I love making good food for people ... and if I can make people happy through food ... that’s what we’re trying to achieve.”
Alloy Kitchen is located at 2042 Axemann Road in Bellefonte, and is currently open Monday and Thursday 4-9 p.m., Friday 4-10 p.m., Saturday noon-10 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Reservations can be made at titanhollow.com/alloy-kitchen or by calling 814-424-7728.