DiSalvo's Station Restaurant
Adds More Accomplishments
by Karen Fetter
DiSalvo's Station Restaurant is not just another restaurant. Major
accomplishments and community fundraising make it a notable and respected place
of business in Westmoreland County.
After opening in 1990 and occupying the former Pennsylvania Railroad Station in
Latrobe, the restaurant has evolved. Not only has DiSalvo's been recognized for
its authentic Italian cuisine, but in 2008 owner Joseph DiSalvo was elected
Chairman of the Pennsylvania Restaurant Association Board of Directors.
The restaurant is a nationally registered Historic Landmark and has been the
recipient of numerous awards and recognitions. It was selected as one of only 11
restaurants in the nations Most Worthy of a Destination Stop by the Culinary
Institute of America and as one of the top 20 restaurants in Pennsylvania by
Server magazine.
DiSalvo's Station receives frequent accolades as a dining destination and in
2004 was awarded with the prestigious DiRoNA (Distinguished Restaurant of North
America) Award. Joseph has dedicated many hours of involvement over the years on
various PRA Committees and on the PRA Board of Directors, the Advisory Board of
the Pennsylvania Culinary Institute, and as Board Member and Marketing Director
of DiRoNA. Joseph, known to friends as Joey, was the recipient of the first
Western Chapter Pennsylvania Restaurant Association scholarship and has a
Bachelor of Science Degree in Hospitality Management from Florida International
University in Miami. He also has an A.O.S. (Associates in Occupational) Degree
from the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York.
In addition to Joey's educational achievements, he has numerous professional
accomplishments as well including a Special Judges Award and High Silver
Medalist, Culinary Arts Salon from the American Culinary Federation. In 1999
there was a Restaurateur of the Year Award by the Western Chapter Pennsylvania
Restaurant Association, and a 2002 Restaurateur of the Year Award by the
American Culinary Federation, Pittsburgh Chapter. In 2005, Joey was the
recipient of the Pennsylvania Restaurant Association Wilmer S. Lapp Keystone
Award for his work and passion in creating, orchestrating, and promoting many
wonderful events to support national and local charitable organizations such
Taste the Good Life, the largest bi- annual charity event in Pennsylvania,
held this year on April 24th, with money raised going to the North Shore
Community Alliance.
We have so many great people involved in the Taste the Good Life event, said
DiSalvo's Station Restaurant owner Joseph DiSalvo. We do it because we want to
be able to give something back to society.
According to Joseph, this event started 14 years ago with a small group of
distinguished men for a sit-down dinner. Each year it evolved and now it
includes over 300 people.
Special appearances include radio and television personalities from KDKA.
In addition to the fundraiser, Disalvo's Station Restaurant has a high
reputation for the services and food offered at the restaurant. With a menu
available that includes a wide range of entrees, pastas, and sandwiches makes it
a dining experience that no one can forget. The restaurant accommodates groups
for weddings, rehearsal dinners, showers, banquets, Sunday brunch parties,
proms, sports banquets, funeral lunches, retirement packages, and buses and
group tours. Not to mention that the restaurant offers express take-out, gift
certificates, and dining cards. Guests always have something new to enjoy and
every Friday night there is live entertainment!
The menu is what keeps people coming back for more. Menu items include soups,
salads, appetizers, pasta, seafood, sandwiches, and entrees. But guests are not
limited to the menu. The chef can prepare anything that the customer would
suggest.
In addition to the food, the atmosphere and architecture from the railroad days
make you feel like you are in a unique setting. Upon entering the restaurant and
walking through the tunnel, you enter the expansive atrium (formerly the train
yard) where the cobblestone floor gives you the feeling of dining in a courtyard
in old-town Italy. In addition, there is a full-sized dining car inside of the
restaurant. Other rooms that portray the ambience of a renovated train station
include the main dining room (the original concourse area), the adjacent tap
room (formerly the ticket and luggage area), the Latrobe Room, and the Railway
Express Office.
Take the opportunity to visit the highly recognizable and respected restaurant
and its owner Joey DiSalvo on your next visit to Latrobe.
DiSalvo's Station Restaurant
325 McKinley Ave
Latrobe, PA 15650
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