Downtown Pittsburgh hasn’t had anything so much as resembling a grocery store since the Rosebud Fine Food and Deli on Seventh Avenue closed in 2010. That will change next Wednesday when Market Street Grocery officially opens its doors in Market Square.
The culmination of more than two years of careful planning, development and renovation, Market Street Grocery is the work of developer Ralph Falbo, David Priselac, Jr. and restaurateurs Ernie and Julian Vallozzi, owners of the self-titled restaurants in Downtown and Greensburg. They had initially hoped to open the market last November, but “as in any development job, there are surprises that pop up during the home stretch,” Falbo says. “It’s been a long trip, but a labor of love for sure.”
On top of a full complement of seasonal produce—around 20 percent of which will be sourced locally—Market Street will offer fresh meats, poultry, seafood and cheeses.
“There’ll be a special emphasis on charcuterie,” Falbo says. “We’re going to have a lot of meats smoked and cured on the premises.”
The market will also house a full coffee and tea bar with coffee from Portland-based Stumptown and Philadelphia’s La Colombe, and will include seating for breakfast service. In the evenings, the space will transition into a cocktail bar.
Gaby et Jules, the French patisserie on Forbes Avenue in Squirrel Hill, will open a satellite location within the market where they’ll peddle their famous macarons, croissants, baguettes and other pastries.
The store will also carry an array of more than 300 other items, such as oils, spices, vinegars, pastas, baking goods and soaps.
While Downtown residents will be able to find everything they’ll need to make a fine meal, the market will also offer a wide variety of prepared foods under the direction of Executive Chef Mike LaMantia. The menu will include sandwiches, salads, soups and a hot bar with fresh breakfast, lunch and dinner dishes.
“We love his versatility and his imaginativeness,” Falbo says of LaMantia. “We’re very excited to have him.”
Separate from the main space and accessible through a different entrance, the grocery will also include a wine bar offering Italian wines from Collefrisio, sold by the glass, bottle and case. The wine bar will also feature its own tapas menu.
Local suppliers to the market include Penn’s Corner Farm Alliance, Logan Family Farms, and Turner’s Dairy, as well as baked goods from Allegro Hearth, Gluuteny and Mediterra Bakehouse.
