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.
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.
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
SHALER
❘
winter 2018
9