Pizzaiolo Primo Returns

Pizzaiolo Primo fires up Neapolitan pizza in Market Square

With pizza, pasta, and new ownership, popular Market Square Italian eatery Pizzaiolo Primo is reopening.

The Downtown restaurant, which closed in December due to the pandemic, has since been purchased by the Ron Sofranko Group, one of the largest full-service hospitality consulting firms in Pennsylvania. It’s currently slated to reopen in mid-April with in-house dining available May 1, and will be staffed by a slew of familiar faces, including the restaurant’s original executive chef, Richard Sphatt.

Neapolitan pizza, with its signature ballooning, wood-fired-oven-charred crust, and simple, fresh flavors, is a star of the menu. Favorites from the restaurant pre-closure include the classic Margherita, a pizza featuring red sauce, fresh mozzarella, parmesan, basil, and olive oil, and the hotter Diavola, which takes the same red sauce and cheese base, but pairs it with chili flakes and spicy salami.

Slices and pies may be a highlight, but don’t miss out on the restaurant’s full menu of pasta – previous menus featuring classics like penne vodka and spaghetti pomodoro – and a comprehensive selection of Italian wines.

The two-floor building only enhances Pizzaiolo Primo’s European touches found on their menu. In the warmer months, look for their al fresco, white-tableclothed, Euro-style dining.

“We’re thrilled to bring Pizzaiolo Primo back to Downtown Pittsburgh and provide the great Italian food and wines the restaurant’s patrons love so much,” said Ron Sofranko in a press release.

Pizzaiolo Primo opens for takeout on April 28.

Check out some of Pittsburgh’s other new and coming-soon restaurants:

Recon Brewing

reconbrewing.com

Butler-based Recon Brewing has moved into Cranberry. The brewery’s new outpost will offer 12 beers on tap, along with two guest taps pouring cider and mead. Find classic pub fare – giant sandwiches (called grinders), cheese curds, and more – on their menu.

Slider Vibes

slidervibes.com

The signature item at Slider Vibes is, you guessed it: sliders. The team behind The Yard, Lowkey Taco, and Coach’s Bottleshop & Grille have designed a menu of pint-sized sandwiches that come stacked with burgers, fried chicken, crispy mac n’ cheese, and more. Make sure to pair your slider flight with one of their spiked milkshakes.

Bakery Galley

galleybakerysquare.org

Comfort food, progressive Asian cuisine, fresh-made pasta, and gourmet burgers: these are the four concepts coming to the new Bakery Galley in Bakery Square, set to open in May. GG’s Café will cover comfort food, serving up dishes like roast chicken and ribs. Somi, run by Galley veteran Hoa Le, who currently runs Shaka in Federal Galley, will bring the first microgreen-driven eatery to Pittsburgh, putting forward a menu with Vietnamese, Japanese, Korean, and Hawaiian influences. Well-known City Fresh Pasta is set to serve up just that, fresh pasta and burgers will come from Bubba’s, a concept by Pittsburgh radio host Bubba Snider.

Storyville Lounge

Step back in time with Storyville Lounge, a speakeasy planned for Allentown. The bar, which will be concealed behind a bookcase inside Dr. Tumblety’s Time Inspired Specialty Shop, a retail apothecary, is inspired by New Orleans’ red-light district of the early 20th Century. Eventually, a distillery will be added to the space.

Currently, those behind the shop are collecting investments for the project on Honeycomb Credit.