This casual fine dining Italian restaurant to open soon in Warner Robins. What to expect

When diners walk into this casual fine dining Italian restaurant opening soon in Warner Robins, they can expect a great meal and a welcoming, relaxing environment, the owners pledged.

Brother and sister Christian and Monica Torres of the Torres Hospitality Group expect to open their family owned and operated Fresco Italiano at 1208 Russell Parkway by month’s end or early May.

“We pride ourselves on being hospitable,” said Christian Torres as he walked through the restaurant and talked about its amenities. “Even if we are packed, we have a nice area to wait and have a cocktail or a glass of wine.”

A transformation

They have transformed the former Ole Times Country Buffet location with an interior remodel that includes a waiting area that will have tables and chairs. They also may add some outside tables.

While reservations are recommended, walk-ins are also welcomed.

While waiting, diners may visit the full-service bar for a cocktail, the wine tasting bar to sample some high-quality wines and the charcuterie bar to enjoy some cut-above meat and cheeses.

The restaurant also features a dessert bar with a bakery on site. Jessica Santamaria has a dual role at the restaurant. As a mixologist, she’s skilled at mixing and creating cocktails. She’s also skilled at creating pastry delights in the bakery.

Additionally, the restaurant’s large kitchen in the back is equipped with a charcoal grill perfect for preparing mussels and other dishes suited for charcoal as well as an open grill with wood fire for Italian steaks.

“We use very good beef,” Torres said. “We use smoke as another ingredient.”

The restaurant uses well marbled, 100% black Angus aged steak from Creekstone Farms that’s cooked with a hint of smoke.

The steaks are aged for 28 days. The restaurant’s chef Daniel Rios uses pecan, post oak and other woods.

The restaurant owners also pride themselves on their made-from-scratch sauces and premium ingredients behind their pasta dishes.

The restaurant has two large dining spaces as well as a private dining room capable of seating 30 to 40 people for corporate lunches, birthday parties and similar events A section of the restaurant may also be closed off for larger events.

Ambiance and more

A faux fireplace is designed to provide a cozy ambiance. The restaurant also uses lighting to create ambiance for nighttime dining.

The menu will be based on their popular Fresco Italiano restaurant in Tifton but also feature different dishes and will likely be tweaked as they discover what locals here like best.

“The restaurant is like a little baby,” Torres said. “You never know which way it will go. You just have to listen to what the people say.”

The vision of Fresco Italiano is that of a neighborhood Italian eatery where a customer can come in at lunch and enjoy a plate of spaghetti and then come back on an evening for a date night and enjoy steak and lobster.

The restaurant will close between lunch and dinner to prepare for the evening meals.

Also, the restaurant will offer a Saturday brunch.

The family opened their first Fresco Italiano in Sylvester and later relocated the restaurant to Tifton. The Torres Hospitality Group also owns and operates Lumbre Cocina Mexicana, a Mexican restaurant in downtown Sylvester.

Fresco Italiano in Warner Robins is the fourth restaurant for Torres, who first opened a pizzeria offering pizza and pasta in Albany at age 24.

Roma Aroma was designed to offer “the smells of Rome,” he said.

“That was my beginning.”