JULY 23, 2009 ISSUE
Business Spotlight
Pssghetti’s—Old World Recipes, Homemade Ingredients and Family Friendly Fine Dining
Frank and Anne Mongelluzzi are like any other American family—they like to enjoy large, homemade meals with their large family at a nice restaurant every now and then. Being first-generation Italian immigrants, their desire for homemade food, fine wine and an accommodating restaurant are all the more amplified.
Having lived in the High Country for 15 years and having a large family, the Mongelluzzis often looked in the area for a restaurant that fit the bill, but unfortunately they had trouble finding one until they took matters into their own hands in May 2005. Armed with a book of Old World Italian recipes passed down from family, the Mongelluzzis, along with manager and chef Jerry Esposito, opened Pssghetti’s in Blowing Rock.
“It’s an Italian restaurant where everything is made from scratch—nothing is made off premise. We make our own pasta, meatballs, bread—you name it,” said Esposito. “And it’s a family friendly place with nice ambiance. We’re reasonably priced and have big portions.
“The Mongelluzzis needed a place to go to bring their family and enjoy a nice Italian meal,” explained Esposito. “That was discouraged at some of the larger resorts so they created a place that encourages that.”
Pssghetti’s is often mistaken as a kid- or family-only restaurant. When patrons enter, though, they are met with soft lighting, large banquet tables, fine art, shiny brass, a visible pasta machine and service like you would find at any high-end establishment. It is this diversity that makes the restaurant just as perfect for a large family as it does for a romantic date night. And there is free valet parking, which is helpful for any size family and an extra bonus for any date.
Once seated, patrons can watch as fresh pasta is made as they peruse the menu, which features every kind of Italian-inspired dish out there as well as entrees from fresh mountain trout to veal. Popular items include Pssghetti’s famous lasagna, made with five cheeses, sausage and beef, and Pssghetti and Meatballs, made with homemade four-ounce meatballs. All fare is made with top-quality Italian products—the highest quality on the market, according to Esposito—and local produce is used whenever possible. Some of the restaurant’s produce comes from the Mongelluzzi’s farm in Tennessee.
Behind these culinary creations are two chefs that are first-generation Italian immigrants—Esposito and Andrew Pallazzo, who recently joined the Pssghetti’s crew from New York. Esposito and Pallazzo pull from their own family lineages for recipes and take cues from recipes in the Mongelluzzi family.
“We have three generations of true Italian people contributing to the recipes in this restaurant,” added Esposito.
A mixed clientele frequent Pssghetti’s, from second homeowners to locals to college students, and they are assisted by more than 20 employees. These employees, like the management, have a passion for the restaurant business that keeps customers coming back, said Esposito.
“To work here you have to have a passion to give great service and create great food,” he said.
And what’s with that name? Well, seeing as the restaurant was birthed out of the idea of family togetherness, Esposito said the name comes from the common mispronunciation of “spaghetti” by young children—the Mongelluzzis’ children did it often, said Esposito.
Pssghetti’s is located at 7179 Valley Boulevard in Blowing Rock. The restaurant features free valet parking and is open from 4:30 to 10:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, from 11:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. on Saturday and from 11:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. on Sunday. Pssghetti’s also has a location in Clearwater, Fla. that will open by the end of the year, and a to-go food storefront called Ready Pssghetti’s, located at 561 West King Street in Boone. For more information, click to www.pssghettis.com or call 828-295-9855.
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