INGOOD TASTE
Candid conversations with the dining scene’s most engaging chefs
Franco’s Trattoria
4120 Washington Road, Peters Township;
724.260.0164, francostrattoria.com
On the Menu:
Traditional and classic Italian fare using fresh
ingredients for authentic flavor. From handmade pasta and sauces to vegetable ravioli,
bowties with salmon and eggplant parmigiano with pine nuts, Chateau cut filet mignon,
White Marble Farms center cut pork chop and
broiled jumbo sea scallops—these are just a
few succulent menu options. Vegetarian and
gluten-free dishes are also available for diners
with dietary restrictions.
Why did you become a chef?
I love food. I grew up in Bethel
Park and as an Italian family we
cooked together. My mother,
Janet, cooked all of the time and
during the holidays my grandmother would cook,
too. I think I was always creative in the kitchen
and I enrolled at Johnson & Wales in Denver to
study culinary arts. After graduating I came back
to Pittsburgh and started at Franco’s Trattoria in
Dormont as a line cook. I enjoy learning from my
surroundings and being open to what’s happening
around me. I always try to gain knowledge
wherever I am.
QA
What led you to work at Franco’s Trattoria?
I started working there through my connection
with another employee at the time. It led to a talk
with Joe Tambellini who was the chef at the time
at Franco’s and that’s going back 15 years or so.
Who has influenced your cooking the
most?
As a child, Friday night was game-and-movie
night at our house. My mom would make pizza
from scratch and my sister, Angela, and I would
help grease up the pizza pan—or if she made
homemade pasta we would ring out the noodles
and pick fresh vegetables from our garden. It was
a fun family environment and a warm feeling
that’s always with me when I’m cooking in the
kitchen.
What kitchen tool can’t you live without?
I can’t live without my tongs—so I don’t burn my
fingers. I have my own pair and everyone knows
they’re mine. When they’re taken, I find them and
take them right back.
What is your best cooking advice for a
novice?
Don’t be afraid to make mistakes—it’s trial and
error. It’s part of the learning process, so learn
from your mistakes. I didn’t become a chef
overnight. In fact, I was about 24 years old and
was given an opportunity to open a restaurant. I
was full of ideas, but didn’t have the experience.
So I engaged the situation and made good
decisions and bad decisions. I was employed for
six months and, all in all, the collective effort
didn’t come together. But I used the bad decisions
I made to avoid making the same mistakes.
What’s your favorite quick meal to prepare
at home?
My favorite meal is a simple egg sandwich with
a slice of tomato on Italian bread. And there’s no
bad way to cook an egg.
Michael DelRaso, Executive Chef
at Franco’s Trattoria.
Chicken Milanese —pan-fried in garlic and
rosemary infused olive oil with lemon wedge
and Parmesan cheese crisp.
Other than your restaurant, where’s your
favorite place to eat?
Right now I’m on a serious Mexican binge and
lucky enough to have Las Palmas Carniceria in
Beechview nearby. They make everything from
scratch, it’s inexpensive and it’s delicious.
What is your favorite go-to ingredient?
Now that I think about it, alcohol might just
be my go-to secret weapon. There is a definite
theme of alcohol throughout my recipes that I’m
A 12-oz. pork chop served with mushrooms,
caramelized onions and au-jus.
realizing, from my bourbon apple crisp to a peach
moonshine pork chop and a vodka sauce. There’s
so many different ways to bring good flavors to a
dish by incorporating alcohol.
What’s the next big food or dining trend?
Pork belly seems to be going tandem with the
mobile barbecue or a lot of in-house smoking.
We just made our own house-made pork belly—
smoking is definitely trending. n
The front façade of Franco’s Trattoria.
16 724.942.0940 TO ADVERTISE | Upper St. Clair
Main dining room at Franco’s Trattoria.
—Reese Randall
Photos provided by Franco’s Trattoria.
Michael DelRaso, Executive Chef,
Franco’s Trattoria