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Abruzzi’s Brings Italy to Pittsburgh
by Lisa Clark
If you’re hungry for an authentic taste of Italy, head to Pittsburgh’s South Side.
Abruzzi’s, owned by Tony Masci, boasts a flavorful selection of homemade pasta and sauces and regional specialties from Abruzzi, the central-coastal area of Italy.
It was in Abruzzi where Masci spent his formative years as his father fished and his mother sold homemade meatballs and sausage in the local market. He moved to the United States in 1966 at age 8, but he never forgot the strong culinary traditions of his family’s homeland.
A trio of savory sauces helps set this restaurant apart from run-of-the-mill pasta palaces. “The sauces are all my mom’s recipes,” Masci says. “A lot of the dishes are stuff we grew up with.”
Abruzzi’s Tomato Sauce is a traditional slow-cooked sauce with a meat base. Marinara Sauce combines plum tomatoes with a seafood base, while Plum Tomato Sauce is lighter, with no meat or fish.
An appetizer laden with calorie-rich Gorgonzola Cream Sauce also deserves raves. It dresses Fungi alla Griglia con Granchio—sliced portabella mushrooms marinated in balsamic vinegar, then grilled and served with big, tender lumps of crab. At $13.95, it’s the most expensive appetizer on the dinner menu, but the taste is well worth the price and the large portion will serve two to four guests. It’s the first thing I’ll order on my next visit.
Linger over a warm cup of Chicken Pastina Soup, much like Wedding Soup without the meatballs, as you peruse the menu and soak in the vibrant Mediterranean colors of Abruzzi’s dining room. Located in the Holiday Inn Express, the atmosphere is warm and inviting with unique architectural elements and panoramic windows.
Dab the fresh Italian bread in the infused oil, but save room for the delicacies to come.
Gnocchi is a standard Italian dish, but Abruzzi’s are like fresh, plump clouds of potato and ricotta. Vitello Romano is a welcome cross between Veal Piccata and Veal Romano. White wine, lemon, capers, and mushrooms add a distinct flavor to scaloppini of veal in Romano batter.
We counted seven meaty chops in Costolettine, which uses rosemary, garlic, and olive oil to flavor broiled baby rack of New Zealand lamb. Artichoke leaves, black olives, and peppers made a colorful side dish.
Fish has a significant presence on the menu—a nod to Masci’s fisherman father. Try Zuppa di Pesce, a traditional Italian seafood soup of shrimp, scallops, clams, mussels, calamari, and fish with Marinara Sauce. There is also Scrod con Patate, fillet of scrod poached in Plum Tomato Sauce with green beans and roasted potatoes.
Pasta entrées are served with your choice of soup or crisp house salad. Other entrées add a side of pasta and a chance to sample one of the three main sauces.
No Italian meal would be complete without a frothy cappuccino and a slice of homemade dessert. Good choices are a sinfully sweet Chocolate Éclair and light banana cream pie called Angie’s Delight, named after Masci’s sister-in-law, who helps run the restaurant.
Family connections and a loyal staff
help make Abruzzi’s successful, Masci
says. His brother, Claudio, was the original
chef and he trained the four current
masters of the kitchen. Much of the staff
has been a part of Abruzzi’s since it
opened 13 years ago, about a block from
its current location. And with food like
this, they’ll likely be serving eager diners
for years.
Abruzzi’s Restaurant
20 S. Tenth St. (Holiday Inn Express)
South Side
412-431-4511
www.abruzzis.net
Hours:
Mon.-Thu. 11:00 AM-11:00 PM
Fri. & Sat. 4:00 PM-9:00 PM
Sun. 4:00 PM-9:00 PM
Noteworthy:
Free parking is available after 5:00 PM in the Abruzzi’s lot about a block away on Tenth Street, in the gated Holiday Inn Express lot, and via valet. The restaurant features a lounge and seasonal patio dining.
Dinner Price Range:
Appetizers & Soups — $2.25-$13.95
Salads — $5.95-$7.95
Entrées — $11.95-$23.95
Desserts — $3.95-$6.00
— Lisa Clark is a writer and restaurant reviewer whose articles have appeared in newspapers and magazines.
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