Michael Passalacqua is a longtime Washington County restaurateur who’s linked to the eating scene all through Southwestern Pennsylvania. The owner-operators are a close-knit fraternity, and Passalacqua is aware of full properly that Pittsburgh Restaurant Week will kick off Jan. 9 with out two culinary giants, one he knew properly and the opposite by his nice native status.
“Name them icons. They’re identified to everybody, they usually’ve been position fashions for those who are arising,” 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 stage.
Greater than 50 companies are collaborating in “Winter 2023 Pittsburgh Restaurant Week: 7 Days of Eating,” which runs by January 15. Eating places do not should be on the town, and even very shut, to partake on this week-long celebration of meals.
Those that have dedicated to the occasion have posted menus and particular menus at www.pittsburghrestaurantweek.com, the place a enterprise can register for the week.
Restaurant Week, in line with 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. Taking part eating places are anticipated to “create a limited-time small menu” for company who dine-in, alongside their common menus.
A number of South Hills eating locations are on board. Nevertheless, two well-regarded restaurant leaders won’t be.
Atria and Ambrogi had a status as bizarre males with a lot in frequent. 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 group 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 staff and clients,” he stated of Ambrogi, an Military sergeant in the course of the Vietnam Conflict.
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 homeowners searching for 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 Yr season is often a affluent time for eating places.
Passalacqua, former president of the Pennsylvania Restaurant and Lodging Affiliation, stated he and Ambrogi consulted typically. The proprietor of Angelo’s stated he by no means met Atria, however she had heard so much about him and his well-liked Mt. Lebanon restaurant.
Atria, who died at 82, returned from the service many years 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 group, 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 sport.
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 means. He was at all times behind the bar, very concerned along with his company. Nick was a legacy in Mt. Lebanon, so he needed 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 feel it is good for town and the eating places,” he stated.