Alto Italian Restaurant & Bar

Built in 1892, the Victorian structure located at 901 Pike Street in Lemont has been a landmark restaurant in Central Pennsylvania since 1977. Operated as the Victorian Manor from 1977-2005, the establishment created a sound reputation for fine dining and developed a loyal following. In late 2005, the owners of The Manor retired and sold to Dave Fonash and Paul Kendeffy. The new proprietors had been involved locally in the restaurant industry for many years, as the owners of Central Pennsylvania's most awarded restaurant, Zola New World Bistro, in downtown State College. Throughout the winter of 2005, the classical ‘Old-World' building was given a cosmetic facelift, creating a brighter, architecturally cleaner, and more open feel. All of the refurbishing was done by the partners, management and family with intense attention given to both bars and the kitchen. The renovation results of the downstairs area were quite dramatic and a new bar and open private dinning space took form. In April 2006, on almost the same date as the 4th anniversary of their first venture, Zola, the transition was completed and Alto Italian Restaurant and Bar opened. The reviews of the food and space have been excellent. Formerly the Victorian Manor, Alto has been completely and magnificently refurbished and the food is superb incidentally, the downstairs bar is something of a revelation. It's the type of upscale, old world lounge one would presumably find in Tuscany or Naples-State College Magazine