A new restaurant featuring homemade pasta at affordable prices will open soon in Downtown Binghamton.

Baci and Ianni’s Trattoria, located at 201 State St., will provide a “fine dining experience” for a lower price, according to head chef Amarissa Scelsi. In 2023, Scelsi met with Mark Yonaty, a local businessman who co-owns several other restaurants in the area, including Station 45 American Chophouse, The Black Sheep Tavern, Garage Taco Bar, Scoopy Dooby’s Ice Cream and Courtside Bar and Grill. The new pasta bar will replace the old Social on State, a popular restaurant and cocktail lounge, also owned by Yonaty, which closed in 2023.

Influenced by her Italian roots, Scelsi crafted the menu and told Pipe Dream she wanted to deliver something beyond more typical, Americanized dishes.

“Our entrees are going to be eight different pasta dishes,” said Scelsi, who attended the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. “They’re all a different kind of pasta sauce and protein, and then two of those dishes are vegetarian as well. And then pretty much all of the dishes are interchangeable with a gluten-free option of pasta.”

The restaurant’s name combines the Italian word “baci,” which means “kiss” in English and is the name of Yonaty’s dog, and Ianni, which is Scelsi’s grandmother’s maiden name.

The restaurant will also focus on providing a quality dining experience at a reasonable price for local residents and Binghamton University students. Scelsi said none of the plates will be over $40, with the priciest pasta on the menu being a seafood dish. Most of the other courses will be around $30 and come in hearty portions, she added.

“I embrace the University in our community — they are a major part of our community,” said Yonaty. “Even though you’re somewhat guests in our community for four years, it’s important that your experience of Binghamton is wonderful. Coming with that, it can’t only be nightlife like bars, but it should be coffee shops and fun restaurants and arcades. There should be a lot for a college student to do.”

On Aug. 29, Yonaty told the Press & Sun Bulletin that the restaurant will open within 60 days.

“We have very high expectations,” Scelsi said in an interview with the Press & Sun Bulletin. “That’s why it’s just taken a decent amount of time. We’re very excited to be open. I know a lot of people waiting to go to the restaurant, and I’m very excited about it.”

As the restaurant will open in the Downtown Arts District, Yonaty and Scelsi decided to commission three murals inside the restaurant that will feature views into different parts of Italy, including a depiction of the Roman Colosseum.

Scelsi, a Vestal native, has been working in the local restaurant industry since she was 15 years old, when she began working at PS Restaurant, a fine dining establishment owned by her aunt and uncle.

Yonaty and Scelsi hope to distinguish Baci and Ianni’s from other businesses in the area and offer employment for locals and students, creating a space where every generation can enjoy good food.

“I want people to be able to come in when their parents come and visit,” Scelsi said. “They know, ‘Hey, Mom and Dad, we can go to this place. It’s really good. They have great drinks, it’s a great price point and it’s just a fun atmosphere.”