Rose Henry

The Friday we went to visit What’s Cooking At Casey’s restaurant in Oakmont was one of those great Fall days that my wife and I enjoy. We sat down with Rose Henry, who has been along with Bill Henry owners of Casey’s for the past 20 years. She told us of the great history and interesting family story birthed out of hard times that resulted in a restaurant that has been built on family recipes, home made cooking, and perseverance.

Before we get into that story, this is a great restaurant that offers a terrific menu of breakfast, lunch, and dinner with several special dishes every day that are not included on the menu. Family and home cooking are the pillars of Casey’s where homemade is not a cliché. Everything is made from scratch including the dough, soups, sauces, meals, and desserts. It’s a true family restaurant steeped in Italian tradition with recipes handed down from Mom and new recipes for today.

We found that homemade meant homemade starting with the wedding soup that Rose said we just had to try even though it was a mid afternoon lunch. My wife, who doesn’t really care for wedding soup, (could it be because she’s part Irish?), raved about it. When I finally tasted it, I had to admit it surpassed any that I have had. The broth itself was delightful and I could have easily finished a bowl of it.

As we were getting ready to order our lunch, I became aware that Casey’s is just as busy mid afternoon as other times. And everyone was like family, from the waitresses to the customers. You think you had arrived at an old home week celebration. Rose says it’s that way everyday. She considers the customers as family and it was clear they did too. From the elderly to the very young, it’s apparent that Casey’s is home to many. Rose told me most of the staff has been with them right from the beginning. That in itself says a lot.

My wife chose the Grilled Hot Vegetarian sandwich for lunch. Now I’m a meat and potatoes guy and thought that wasn’t going to be appetizing, but when she offered me a bite I was amazed. This sandwich is grilled in hearty 10-grain bread with fresh broccoli, cauliflower, mushrooms, and zucchini with provolone cheese. It had a great taste to it and if I had been blindfolded I don’t think I would have known it was vegetarian. This was listed under the Between Bread Specialty Sandwiches.

Casey's Restaurant

I chose to have the Tuscany from Casey’s Specialty Pizza menu. With names like Abruzzi, Napoli, Margherita, and Gourmet, to name a few, you can be sure you are in for some interesting pizza. As an Italian restaurant there is, of course, a whole menu page of pizzas and Strombolis. My Tuscany was a white pizza topped with broccoli, feta cheese, mushrooms, onions, and mozzarella cheese. It was terrific and the dough was out of this world. It was light and a delight to eat.

Their menu is very complete with an emphasis on their Italian tradition. Breakfast starts at 8 am everyday with a wide selection of egg, omelet, pancake, and other dishes with fresh bakery items and a lot of extras. There is even a children’s breakfast for kids under 12. There are 12 appetizers, 10 different soups and salads and several families of sandwiches with different styles. And for those who don’t like to experiment there are “Just Plain Old Sandwiches” listed! Even the burgers offer variations such as the British and Italian burgers.

For dinner their specialty is Italian and there is plenty to choose from. There are over 20 main dishes with more than eight pasta selections. Lasagna and spaghetti reign of course featuring meatballs, meat sauce, and hot sausage. Then there is the American side (with some Italian-American tweaking) that has enough to satisfy anyone. Well, enough said. Let’s finish the story of Casey’s that started in Calabria, Italy where Rose’s grandparents lived. Her grandmother cooked for her grandfather’s construction company workers. He was so proud of her cooking he brought business associates home to dine with the family. Her knowledge and recipes went to Rose’s mother, Clara, who also proved to be an excellent cook. When Rose’s dad, Casey, passed away in the ‘60s, Clara was left without an income for the family. That led Rose’s brother, Fred, to establish a restaurant business to provide for the family. Clara, with her cooking knowledge and recipes, found a new outlet.

The ‘80s brought a period of financial need for Bill and Rose. Bill’s business in steel suffered from the industry’s decline. It was then he decided to start another restaurant in Oakmont to provide an income for them both. Together with two other family members, Casey and Jerry Tolerico, they opened What’s Cooking At Casey’s in 1984. Today the business has continued to prosper and make provision for them. Bill and Rose have two children and five grandchildren, so there is good chance Casey’s will continue for many years in the future.

One thing is for sure: the family traditions, homemade recipes, and love of others have made Casey’s a different and wonderful community restaurant where many find it a home of friends. If you go, Casey’s is located at 608 Allegheny River Boulevard in downtown Oakmont. The restaurant is open at 8 am every day of the week and closes at 9:30 pm Monday through Thursday; 10 pm Friday and Saturday and 8 pm on Sundays. Dress is casual and prices are moderate.