Cafe Naples at Giant Eagle Plaza, Verona

I had a mid-afternoon appointment with Brian Parks, Chef of Café Naples at the Giant Eagle Plaza in Verona. Normally, this is a quiet time for restaurants, but when I arrived I was surprised at the number of patrons exiting from the restaurant. It didn’t take long to learn that Café Naples is a hidden treasure that is immensely popular for its Italian cooking. That popularity has also led to excellent reviews and media readership awards.

Chef Brian Parks with Pork Osso Bucco dish

When you step into Café Naples you are immediately in a warm and cozy environment that gives you your own space. The color scheme further helps create a warm and peaceful setting. Too many restaurants today tend to have open formats to gain more seating, but not here. Seating is in three distinct areas plus a banquet room for parties, allowing 120 patrons at a time. This creates a sense of privacy and intimate dining. Even with this large capacity though, there are waiting lines in the evening, particularly on weekends (reservations should be made).

"Joe Sco" Shrimp and Perciatelli

Two of the most popular dinners at Café Naples, according to Chef Brian Parks, are Pork Osso Bucco and Chicken Carbonara. The Pork Osso Bucco is a braised Hind Shank of pork served over a wild rice blend and topped with a mushroom Marsala sauce with fresh spinach. The pork is very tender and the taste is out of this world. The Chicken Carbonara is sautéed chicken with bacon, tomatoes, peas and mushrooms in a light cream sauce topped with provolone cheese. A few other great dishes are the Stuffed Atlantic Cod that has delicious crab stuffing and "Joe Sco" Shrimp and Perciatelli. The Atlantic Cod is baked in a lemon wine butter sauce and the “Jo Sco” has shrimp, hot peppers in a marinara sauce toasted with Perciatelli. You can see from these few dishes what a terrific menu Café Naples has. It will satisfy your taste buds.

Roasted Garlic Chicken

Jerry Insogna founded Café Naples ten years ago when Giant Eagle built the new Plaza. He still comes every evening to greet customers and have dinner. Liz Frankos is the manager and Brian Parks is the Chef. Brian has been with Café Naples for six years, first as Assistant Chef and then Chef. He is a Chef that loves his work and spoke how happy he has been since coming aboard. Brian told me he began his cooking career at the age of 13 when his grandfather, a chef at a Texas restaurant, started training him.

Brian said a lot of recipes used at Café Naples have been handed done, some being three generations of family. He indicated all fish and meats are fresh. Everything is made from scratch, including the soups, sauces. There are two new soups each week and specials are run throughout the week.

I definitely recommend visiting Café Naples at Verona’s Giant Eagle Place on Allegheny River Boulevard. Take-out is available and the banquet room will seat 50 persons. They already do a number of events from funeral dinners to weddings and other party occasions. It is just outside downtown Verona heading to Pittsburgh, a short drive from most points of Alle-Kiski region. The hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Monday and Tuesday; 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Wednesday through Friday; 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday and 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Sunday. Reservations are recommended for weekends. You can see the whole menu on the web at www.cafenaples.com or call them at 412-828-0223.