Picture it: Sewickley, 2022. You stop in at Mambo Italia for a bite to eat and realize the entire place has been overhauled.
Say “Ciao” to the revamped Italian eatery at 424 Broad St.
Business partners Joe Piccirilli and John Schiavo purchased the 7-year-old business shortly after it closed this summer. Mambo Italia reopened on Jan. 4 with a new menu and ambiance.
Piccirilli, who also owns the nearby eatery 424 Walnut, started offering pizzas at that fine dining establishment during the pandemic. The pizza was such a hit with customers, Piccirilli jumped at the chance to rebrand Mambo Italia and offer the Neapolitan pies in a casual setting.
Pizzas are cooked in a wood-burning oven and offerings include The Mambo with grape tomatoes, prosciutto di parma, arugula, Parmigiano, extra virgin olive oil and fresh mozzarella. Pizza chef Justin Giammario makes about 50 pounds of fresh mozzarella each day.
The culinary team includes industry veterans chefs Rob Longerman and Dan Eaton.
Warm up with a cup of Stracciatella soup (it’s Piccirilli’s uncle’s recipe) and an order of Arancini Napoli, croquettes stuffed with egg pasta, prosciutto and mozzarella that is then breaded and fried. Enjoy traditional entrees such as the Pollo Alla Parmigiana, homemade spaghetti topped with a lightly breaded chicken cutlet, homemade red sauce, mozzarella and imported San Marzano tomatoes. Check the website for daily specials from the scratch kitchen.
Cool down with gelato available in chocolate, vanilla or strawberry, or indulge in a piece of tiramisu, a rich layered dessert made with ladyfinger cookies, espresso, mascarpone cheese, eggs, Godiva chocolate liqueur and cocoa.
Mambo Italia, which now has a modern but rustic vibe, is currently BYOB. The dining room seats 56 people, and once a plastic shield is installed at the bar, customers can sit and watch the chefs work their magic.
On warm, sunny days, the garage door façade of the building will open and there will be outdoor seating.
Hours are 4 to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday (last seating at 8 p.m.), 4 to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday (last seating at 9 p.m.) and Sunday from 3 to 9 p.m. (last seating at 8 p.m.).
Piccirilli and Schiavo want to open multiple locations of Mambo Italia throughout Pittsburgh and beyond.
“We take the time to assemble a great staff and we take great pride in the food we serve,” Piccirilli says. “Based on the feedback so far, people are happy with it, too.”
