INGOOD TASTE
Nadia Gorban , Owner and Chef , Lviv European Kitchen & Millie ’ s Italian Deli
Lviv European Kitchen & Millie ’ s Italian Deli 940 5th Avenue , Coraopolis ; 412.262.1210 , lviveuropeankitchen . com ( Tues . -Fri ., 11 a . m . to 8 p . m .; Sat ., Noon to 6 p . m .; Sunday and Monday by reservation only )
On the Menu : Traditional Ukrainian fare handmade from scratch . From stuffed cabbage , haluski and borsch to pierogies ( such as Pelmeni pierogies ; potato with bacon , sauerkraut with mushrooms , bacon , potato or kielbasa ; spinach with ricotta ; and sweet cottage cheese — to name a few ), Lviv European Kitchen also offers an Italian menu from its Millie ’ s Italian Deli . The menu offers a variation on traditional and non-traditional Italian options such as the Stuffed Tuna Pita made with roasted peppers , provolone cheese and lettuce and tomato ; the Gyro with feta cheese , lettuce , tomato , onion and cucumber sauce ; The Reuben Baby made with corned beef , sauerkraut , Thousand Island dressing and Swiss cheese ; the Grilled Hot Sausage topped with fried green peppers and onions and provolone cheese ; the Soprano piled high with roast beef , turkey , ham , provolone cheese with roasted red peppers ; and Sammy the Bull made of roast beef , turkey , roasted red peppers and provolone cheese . Other popular menu items include traditional pizza , pierogi pizza , Ukrainian pizza , and hoagies served on fresh Mancini ’ s Italian bread . Sides include salads , cheese sticks , chicken wings , kids ’ meals with chicken nuggets , plus cheese
Pierogies
Candid conversations with the dining scene ’ s most engaging chefs
and meat trays and hoagies rings . Catering is available with a 24-hour advance call . Customers can order by the tray for location catering or utilize the 50-seat dining room , buffet-style accommodations .
Q A Describe the moment you
found a passion for food . Ever since I was a teenager I learned how to cook from my mom . She taught me everything I know in the kitchen . She taught me how to make borsch and pierogies . I would watch her and mimic what she was doing as she cooked for the family . Growing up in a small village in the Ukraine was very quiet . Everybody made food for their families using ingredients from their small farms and gardens . In our garden , we grew potatoes , carrots , beets — you name it . We had chickens , pigs , cows and turkeys . Everything we needed we used from our own meats , milk , fruits and vegetables .
Describe Lviv European Kitchen & Millie ’ s Italian Deli . Lviv means “ Hometown ” in Ukrainian . I wanted to bring what home cooking means to me to my customers at Lviv . In 2008 my husband Mike and I opened Lviv after we purchased Millie ’ s Italian Deli . We kept Millie ’ s Italian deli and added Lviv ’ s Ukrainian food to the business . Mike helps buy supplies and he also handles deliveries , but I cook the food . Lviv is a family-owned and operated restaurant and two of our four children work here when we need help .
Lviv European Kitchen & Millie ’ s Italian Deli in Coraopolis .
What kitchen tools can ’ t you live without ? My Hobart mixer . I need it to mix the potato filling for all of the pierogies . I make a variety of pierogies , including potato and jalapeno , potato and cheddar and sauerkraut . People like these varieties . We have a lot of customers , but it ’ s our older customers who say our food reminds them of their mamas and that our pierogies are the best .
What is your favorite go-to ingredient ? Salt and pepper .
What is your favorite quick meal to prepare at home ? Potato pancakes with sour cream .
Best advice for a novice ? Owning a restaurant is very hard work . Days are usually 12 hours long and sometimes even longer depending on what ’ s going on . You must be motivated and like what you do to make it in this business .
Other than Lviv European Kitchen & Millie ’ s Italian Deli , where is your favorite place to eat in the city ? Dynasty International Buffet in Cranberry Township is very good . I order the sushi and crab legs .
What ’ s the next big food or dining trend ? There ’ s nothing better than homemade food — especially from scratch . I also think food trucks are still popular . We have a food truck or trailer we take out on Mondays and Saturdays to farmers market and colleges , or corporations . We like going out with our truck . It means we can get out of the restaurant and we can enjoy meeting new people . We put up a tent and tables , and cater birthday parties , graduations , funerals and weddings — we ’ re homemade comfort food . n
— Reese Randall
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