IN Cranberry Winter 2018 | Page 12

INGOOD TASTE Candid conversations with the dining scene’s most engaging chefs Joseph Piccirilli, Owner, 424 Walnut 424 Walnut 424 Walnut Street, Sewickley; 412.741.7143, 424walnut.net On the Menu: Classic American fare with an Italian focus, offering lunch, dinner and draft beers. Half sandwiches are whipped up during lunch with favorites such as—but not limited to—The Club, The Reuben, a BLT, Tuna Salad and Chicken Salad sandwiches. There’s also the Grilled Salmon BLT, the Angus Burger, a Stuffed Banana Pepper Hoagie and a Crab Melt. Soup and salads come in a hearty variety, from the Steak Salad and Duck Confit Salad, to a Grilled Salmon Salad and the Three World Salad plus a Soup du Jour or French Onion Soup. Lunch entrees are specialty dishes such as the Steamed Mussels, Chargrilled Delmon- ico or the Penne with Pink Vodka Cream. The dinner selection starts with rich plates including White Beans & Greens, Shrimp Cocktail, Crab Hoelzel, Pate and Crabmeat Stuffed Artichokes, followed by entrees featuring an 18-ounce Delmonico Steak or a 5 to 10-ounce Filet Mignon, Prime New York Strip Steak, Colorado Lamb Chop, Veal & Peppers, Roasted Chicken Risotto Rosso, Shrimp & Hot Sausage, Braised Salmon, Seared Scallops and Caroline Jumbo Crabcakes. Dessert concludes the meal with specialties from Mascarpone Cheesecake, Bread Pudding and a Pecan Ball to Key Lime and Coconut pies. The entire meal can be complemented with an order from the selection of draft beers such as Stella Artois, Miller Lite, Peroni, Weihenstephaner, Southern Tier Pumking, Yuengling, Smithwicks and Guinness, to name a few. Why did you become a restaurateur? I always joke around about this… I decided when I got to this stage in life I wanted to work longer hours and take a pay cut. All joking aside, what really happened was there was a restaurant closing and I ended up resurrecting it. Around the same time, James ( Jimmy) Zipparo was chef and owner at Sweetwater Grill in Sewickley. We met and talked and I made him my partner and chef. We opened in May 2013. And ever since, I’ve been known to bus tables or I work the front of the house to make certain our customers have a pleasing dining experience—whatever it takes. Q A What led you to open 424 Walnut? Prior to opening 424 Walnut I was handling mergers and acquisitions. Nothing too exciting like there is in this business. The Shrimp, Buffalo & Mozzarella Salad. 10 724.942.0940 TO ADVERTISE ❘ Who has influenced your cooking the most? My uncle, Gaetano, who lived in Florida, had a major influence on me. We would visit him and I was probably the only nephew who stayed near him morning, noon and night, learning different things from him in the kitchen. He made so many dishes; however his best dish was the Rollatini. It’s a baked, pinwheel pasta with veal sausage, fresh spinach and ricotta cheese sliced and drizzled with tomato sauce. Actually, all of my uncles had restaurants throughout Michigan and Florida. It’s in my blood, I suppose. My three children work here in the restaurant bussing tables and doing dishes. I’d like for them to go to college, because the restaurant business is a 6-day-a- week lifestyle and I want them to have a less- stressful career. icmags.com Joseph Piccirilli, Owner, 424 Walnut. What kitchen tool can’t you live without? Jimmy handles the cooking and prep at the restaurant. I do very little cooking, except at home. When I’m in the kitchen at home I need a grater for cheese—my favorite cheese is Parmigiana. What’s your best advice for a novice? Anyone coming into the business has to be committed to the job and have a supportive family. There are days when you’re working from 7:30 a.m. until 10 p.m. and it can be demanding. When I opened 424 Walnut my kids were older—if they had been newborn or toddlers, I’m sure it would have been very different opening a new restaurant. I am very fortunate they were older and could understand the demands of the career. What is your favorite quick meal to prepare at home? It’s usually a Veal Marsala with a side of pasta. I use good wine and fresh mushrooms, and then for the pasta I toss fresh tomatoes (and sometimes peas) in a rich vodka cream sauce. Where is your favorite place to eat in Pittsburgh? I’ve become spoiled, but I like Hyde Park on the North Shore. If I have time to get there, I always start off with an appetizer, then migrate to a delicious filet. What’s your favorite go-to ingredient? Extra-Virgin Olive Oil—it’s a necessity. I use it in pasta, salads and to marinate. What is the next big food or dining trend? Fine food, fast. Customers want to get in and get out. Whoever executes the best fine food and cooks up the best quality fast will be the next big thing. n —Reese Randall