What's cooking: Bridgewater to get Italian restaurant; coffeeshop moves to Beaver Falls
(What's Cooking is a twice-a-month look at the Beaver Valley dining and drinks scenes.)
Top-quality ingredients with basic, time-tested recipes.
That's the gameplan for Gervasi Italian Restaurant on The River, a new eatery coming to Bridgewater.
Gervasi owner Randy Gillette says his riverfront restaurant will emphasize homemade Italian cuisine with a twist, "only because of where I'm at."
Given its location next to Bridgewater's bustling boat docks, the ambience calls for seafood, too, including lobster and crab legs he plans to have flown in fresh weekly.
"The Italian food is going to be made here on-site. Cavatelli, raviolis, lasagna − all those dishes − all made from scratch," Gillette said.
Pizza, wedding soup and Italian-style sandwiches will be menu items also.
"We're going to have other foods, too. We're going to put a smoker in the back and do a little barbecue," he said. "We're going to have barbecue ribs one night, pulled pork sandwiches, barbecue chicken," he said. "We're going to have lamb-on-the-rod one night."
With a professional background in construction and restaurants − he ran the former Great American Sandwich Co. in New Castle − Gillette gutted the Bridgewater building that previously housed Spanky D's Restaurant and Boat Yard Bar, which closed in early January.
He's installing new ceilings and flooring, a more artfully elaborate entrance and adding a yellow-gold-ish paint scheme, like you might see on a Tuscan villa.
Gervasi's plans to offer home delivery service within a 10-mile radius and be open seven days a week. The targeted opening is this summer, with the possibility of having the restaurant serving dinner and lunch customers ahead of procuring its applied-for liquor license.
Gervasi Italian Restaurant is now hiring, with applicants asked to call 412-552-3885.
Coffee shop moving to Beaver Falls
After a year in Midland, a coffeeshop is moving to Beaver Falls.
Chaotik Java hopes to reopen in August at its new location of 1409 Seventh Ave., in downtown Beaver Falls, across from Oram's Donut Shope and a block from Neighborhood North Museum.
"The coffee drinks on our menu will stay the same as before, but I'm updating our old menu with healthier new foods and drinks, such as more vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free foods, and pastries," owner Dawn Spangler said. "Regular dairy items will be made with Brunton's fresh milk and creamers. There will also be a catering menu available I'm currently working on for offices, weddings and other occasions, large or small."
The new site will have outdoor seating in the back to host small events for which customers can RSVP.
"I have a local artist who will be holding events in the store and open opportunities for any other local vendor that wants to do a small event after-hours," Spangler said.
BV Mall gets GF shop
Seriously It's Gluten Free held its grand opening this past weekend at the Beaver Valley Mall.
Located just down the hall from the food court, headed toward King's Jewelers, Seriously It's Gluten Free offers an assortment of gluten-free goodies, like cupcakes and cookies, and is taking custom cake orders.
Seriously It's Gluten Free is starting out with gluten-free baked goods, but will branch out to gluten-free meals as well in the coming months.
"The menu will evolve to include savory and sweets as well as reflect the seasons," the Seriously It's Gluten Free website, said. "You'll find farm fresh zucchini in the Zucchini Bread in the summer and locally grown potatoes in the Loaded Potato Soup in the winter. The lasagna will be made with my mother's own spaghetti sauce recipe, passed down through generations, simmered for hours like it should be."
Bridgewater cocktail lounge closes
The Ark closed permanently on June 30.
In its one year of operation, the cocktail lounge, located above the Grumpy Beaver Pub in Bridgewater, introduced Beaver County to freshly juiced, vegan cocktails with an environmentally friendly approach.
"We took every piece of glass, plastic and cardboard we used all year to Bradys Run Recycling to help reduce our impact on the planet and Mother Nature," owner Nicholas Klutka posted on Facebook. "We (were) proud to not use straws and wasteful napkins and garnishes in our creations. We were thrilled to bring you a vegan chocolate and wine tasting, the No. 1 DJ in Pittsburgh (deejay Selecta) and help raise money for animals in need in a chill space to go out to and enjoy the moments in life without prejudice or televisions and even our phones. Our libation was nothing without your vibration."
Lebanese food fest debuts in Baden
The Lebanese Food Festival commences July 21-22 at St. John The Baptist Catholic Church, 375 Linmore Ave., Baden.
Hosted by Saint Teresa of Calcutta Maronite Catholic Mission, hours will be 4-9 p.m. opening day, then noon-9 p,m. on July 22.
The menu includes stuffed grape leaves, kibbee, kabobs, falafel, rice pilaf, fatoush (salad with toasted pita), hummus, spinach pies, baklava and more.
Lebanese music, snow cones and face painting will be part of the fun.
More: What's Cooking archives: News from the Beaver Valley dining & drinks scenes
Scott Tady is dining/entertainment editor at The Times and easy to reach at stady@timesonline.com.
This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: What's Cooking: Bridgewater gets Italian restaurant; BV Mall gets gluten-free shop
