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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.
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724.942.0940 TO ADVERTISE
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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
L
Starting Tiny Feet
on Giant Journeys
ittle House Learning Center is a family-owned and operated
school that has been providing parents with a safe, home-
like, educational place to entrust their little ones each
day when they go off to work for the last 12 years. From infant
care through private Kindergarten; from half-day preschool
through summer camps, Little House provides a safe and secure
foundation for your child’s development and growth.
“Little House has become a second family. We cherish the
safety, security, enrichment and engagement, Little House
provides our daughter and our family.” - Karey Yeager
With several openings in the infant room coming up in 2018,
we are looking forward to welcoming new little ones into our
larger Little House Family! Our school has been focused from the
start on not only being part of the community, but on building
a community. In creating a home away from home for all of our
families and the students, we strive to serve, support, educate
and love each of them along the way. We help and encourage
every growing child through the journey of childhood. We
are privileged to be part of that journey for so many and look
forward to serving so many more!
“My daughter has been at Little House since she was 8
weeks old. I continue to be amazed with her growth and
love of school!”- Jen Do
So often in education, the primary focus is placed only on
concrete, measurable progress, such as learning letters, shapes
or numbers. From infancy through childhood the Little House
goal is to educate the whole child. The vital importance in the
early years for children to learn their value, the importance of
recognizing and being in control of their emotions, as well as
positive and appropriate interactions with friends is a focus at our
school. This emphasis on social and emotional development is
a large part of our goal to educate the whole child. Though still
recognizing the significant importance of measurable academics,
the Little House curriculum provides daily opportunities for math,
science, reading and creative arts to be incorporated. Engaging
the students from ages 1 through the Little House Kindergarten
Program in; challenging, age-appropriate ways help to develop a
strong sense of mathematical understanding, reading proficiency
and a love of scientific inquiry! Join us for a program that will
challenge your child to LEARN and to LOVE school!
“Little House is our son’s home away from home. There’s
nothing better than the peace of mind knowing your child
is safe and will be looked after.” - Val and Amie Hernandez
The importance of safety and security does and should play a role
in choosing a childcare facility and family to grow with in your
child’s early years. Of course, we provide both safety and security
in our physical site, through keypad entry, sign-in/sign-out
system, strategic placement of classrooms, walk-through rooms,
and more. That emphasis on safety applies also to the experience
and continued education of the teachers in our school. Through
yearly accreditation courses/classes our teachers stay current
on the best practices in early childhood and use them in each
phase of your child’s journey with us. Each Little House teacher
is unique and brings with them a set of skills that strengthen
our team and our family. Backgrounds in early childhood,
child psychology, special education, and social work as well as
countless years of experience with infants and children make our
team a strong one.
For more information on Little House Learning Center, go to
littlehouselearningcenter.com online, or call Jennifer Osterman
at 724.776.5583. We hope you choose to join our LH Family!
MARS AREA
❘
WINTER 2018
9