F
resco by Scotto will debut Saturday brunch with a live DJ this October, marking a decade‑long lease renewal with its Midtown landlord. Co‑owner Rosanna Scotto, familiar from Channel 5’s “Good Day New York,” praised 485 Madison Avenue’s owners, Jack Resnick & Sons, for their collaborative approach. Resnick’s in‑house counsel Brett Greenberg and Adam Rappaport handled the deal, while Fresco’s representation came from Savills’ Ken Ruderman and Jeff Lagowitz. Scotto declined to disclose financial details but emphasized that the Resnicks feel like family. Her own family—mother Marion and children LJ and Jenna Ruggiero—founded Fresco in 1993, and the restaurant’s elegant dining rooms and authentic Italian fare have endured amid East Midtown’s volatile scene.

    The restaurant sits on 485 Madison, a block from the proposed 350 Park Avenue tower—a 1,600‑foot megaproject by Vornado Realty Trust, Rudin, and Ken Griffin, with Citadel affiliates as anchor tenants. The new skyscraper will replace three existing buildings, one of which abuts 485 Madison. Scotto said she’s spoken with the developers, who will be mindful of the restaurant’s needs, and that the Resnicks were reluctant to lose the business. Jonathan Resnick, representing the family‑run firm now in its 100th year, expressed pride in extending the partnership with Rosanna, LJ, and Jenna into the next decade.

    Scotto knows the façade will be scaffolded when demolition begins next year, but she remains optimistic that the structure will look striking, maintaining her trademark optimism.