Michael Passalacqua is a longtime Washington County restaurateur who’s related to the eating scene all through Southwestern Pennsylvania. The owner-operators are a close-knit fraternity, and Passalacqua is aware of full effectively that Pittsburgh Restaurant Week begins at present with out two culinary giants, one he knew effectively and the opposite by his nice native repute.
“Name them icons. They’re identified to everybody, they usually’ve been function fashions for those who are developing,” Passalacqua stated of Rod Ambrogi and Nick Atria, longtime operators of Al’s Cafe and Atria’s Restaurant, respectively, within the South Hills. The 2 businessmen died within the final three months, Ambrogi on September 29, Atria on December 16, leaving a void within the trade on the native degree.
Greater than 50 companies are collaborating in “Winter 2023 Pittsburgh Restaurant Week: 7 Days of Eating,” which runs by Sunday. Eating places do not need to be on the town, and even very shut, to participate on this week-long gastronomic celebration.
Restaurant Week, based on the web site, was instituted in 2012 as “a celebration of eating and eating within the Metal Metropolis.” There’s a winter occasion in January and a summer season week in August. Collaborating eating places are anticipated to “create a limited-time small menu” for visitors who dine-in, alongside their common menus.
A number of South Hills eating locations are on board. Nevertheless, two well-regarded restaurant leaders is not going to be.
Atria and Ambrogi had a repute as atypical males with a lot in widespread. They each served within the Military earlier than they started serving meals, for many years, at places simply seven miles aside. Each have been selfless neighborhood servants identified for fostering a household ambiance inside their office. They each embraced their enterprise.
Passalacqua, proprietor of Angelo’s restaurant in North Franklin Township, praised Ambrogi, a Charleroi resident who died at age 75.
“The man cared greater than something about his workers and clients,” he stated of Ambrogi, an Military sergeant in the course of the Vietnam Struggle.
Ambrogi additionally cared deeply about his career, protesting Gov. Tom Wolf’s restrictions on eating places within the first 12 months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Ambrogi hosted a gathering of restaurant and bar house owners in search of reduction from his limitations at a July 2020 rally, which drew about 200 individuals exterior his Bethel Park restaurant. Months later, throughout one other COVID surge, Wolf closed the indoor eating space once more from late December 2020 to early January 2021, however Ambrogi saved Al’s Cafe open. The Christmas/New 12 months season is normally a affluent time for eating places.
Passalacqua, former president of the Pennsylvania Restaurant and Lodging Affiliation, stated he and Ambrogi consulted usually. The proprietor of Angelo’s stated he by no means met Atria, however she had heard rather a lot about him and his common Mt. Lebanon restaurant.
Atria, who died at 82, returned from the service a long time in the past to take over his mother and father’ restaurant and bar on Beverly Street. He was a pillar there, working behind the bar overseeing the kitchen and constructing goodwill within the neighborhood. Along with reaching out to the Mt. Lebanon neighborhood, volunteering at his church and devotion to Lil, his spouse of 57 years, Atria, organized rafting excursions to Ohiopyle and bus journeys to the Steelers recreation.
Oh, and he labored on the Allegheny County Recorder’s Workplace.
“Nick was a real entrepreneur.” stated Pat McDonnell, founder and CEO of Restaurant Holding Providers LP, which purchased Atria’s in 1997. “To him, this was a household enterprise and he ran it that method. He was all the time behind the bar, very concerned together with his visitors. Nick was a legacy in Mt. Lebanon, so he wished to maintain the (firm) identify. It wasn’t nearly promoting a enterprise, it was about promoting a reputation that was a landmark.”
Pittsburgh-based Restaurant Holdings owns 5 Atria places (Mt. Lebanon, Peters Township, O’Hara, Murrysville, and Nice Hills) and 4 Juniper Grill eating places (Peters, Cranberry, Murrysville, and Charlotte, NC
McDonnell stated he likes the idea of Restaurant Week.
“I believe it is good for the town and the eating places,” he stated.
