Vincent's Pizza Park
| Vincent's Pizza Park | |
|---|---|
| Restaurant information | |
| Established | 1952 |
| Owner(s) | Vincent Chianese (founder); Toni Zollner (current owner) |
| Food type | Pizzeria |
| Street address | 998 Ardmore Blvd |
| City | Pittsburgh |
| State | Pennsylvania |
| Postal/ZIP Code | 15221 |
| Country | United States |
| Website | www |
Vincent's Pizza Park is a pizzeria restaurant located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States.[1] The restaurant has been labeled as an iconic Pittsburgh restaurant[2] and a landmark of Forest Hills, Pennsylvania.[3]
Information
Vincent Chianese was the restaurant's founder. His father was from Italy and his mother was French Canadian. He was originally trained as a tailor.[4] He went to San Francisco in 1950 to learn how to make pizza from his uncle and returned to Pittsburgh after his uncle sold his pizzeria.[5][6] After returning, he started selling pizzas at an auction and later founded Vincent's Pizza Park in 1952. While pizza is a common food today, many of the locals in the area did not know what pizza was at the time.[6] Chianese gained notoriety over his lifetime for often being seen cooking while smoking a cigar (with ashes sometimes falling into the pizza)[7] and was cited as a larger than life figure with an off-color demeanor.[5][8][9][10] Chianese passed away in 2010 at the age of 85.[11]
The restaurant is famous for its "Vinnie Pie" style of pizza, which is notable for its generous amount of toppings, a thick crust, it's abundance of grease and for its size which often leaves customers with leftovers.[5][10][12][11] The restaurant offers pizza in three sizes: 9", 11" and 19" inch pizzas and notably does not serve their pizza in a takeout box, but on top of a piece of cardboard covered in paper sheets.[13] The restaurant has never offered deliveries, has never advertised nor was it open for lunch.[5][10] The restaurant also did not sell anything but pizza during some of its existence.[10][14] The restaurants peak time is during Pittsburgh Steelers football games, where 20 pizzas are often baked at once.[15] The restaurant has also been known to ship pizzas overnight across the United States.[16]
The restaurant closed in 2012 over rent, franchise and royalty issues.[17][18][19][12][11] The restaurant was supposed to be put up for sheriff's sale in 2012, but the sheriff's sale request was withdrawn.[20][21] The restaurant was renovated and reopened in 2013 by Chianese's daughter, Toni Zollner and continues to operate to this day.[22]
In 2020, Vincent's donated over 140 pizzas during the Covid-19 pandemic to front-line workers.[23]
In popular culture
The restaurant was featured in Philipp Meyer's 2009 novel, "American Rust"[24] and in the 2015 Pittsburgh horror television series, "It's Alive".[8] Chianese and Vincent's Pizza Park appeared in the 1998 film, Dominick and Eugene.[25]
References
- ^ Tully, Jessica (2013), Vincent's Pizza Park, home of the 'Vinnie Pie,' nears reopening after dispute, web: Pittsburgh Post Gazette, retrieved 13 March 2023
- ^ Cain, Jackie (2013), Iconic Pittsburgh Pizza Shop Re-Opens, web: WTAE, retrieved 13 March 2023
- ^ Ove, Torsten (2002), Pizza makers head to court over name, web: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, retrieved 13 March 2023
- ^ Reagan, Bulldog (1998), Nobody tops crusty pizza man's reputation at oven, web: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, p. 125, retrieved 13 March 2023
- ^ a b c d Braknis, Greg (1989), Everyone wants a piece of Vincent's, web: The Pittsburgh Press, retrieved 13 March 2023
- ^ a b Pittsburgh Eats: Vincent's Pizza Park, web: WQED Pittsburgh, 2018, retrieved 13 March 2023
- ^ Musick, Phil (1987), Nobody tops crusty pizza man's reputation at oven, web: The Pittsburgh Press, retrieved 13 March 2023
- ^ a b Vincent's Pizza Segment on It's Alive, web: Professor Emcee Square, 2010, retrieved 13 March 2023
- ^ McConnell Schaarsmith, Amy (2012), Ovens cool at Vincent's Pizza Park after 60 years, web: Pittsburgh Post Gazette, retrieved 13 March 2023
- ^ a b c d Heyl, Eric (2010), Art of the pizza pie: Vinnie mastered his palate, web: Trib Live, retrieved 13 March 2023
- ^ a b c Future Uncertain For Popular Local Pizza Shop, web: CBS News, 2012, retrieved 13 March 2023
- ^ a b Brandolph, Adam (2012), The 'Vinnie Pie' is no more, web: Trib Live, retrieved 13 March 2023
- ^ Best of the 'Burgh 2011: Food and Drink, web: Pittsburgh Magazine, 2011, retrieved 13 March 2023
- ^ Machosky, Michael (2012), Lunch review: Vincent's Pizza Park, web: Trib Live, retrieved 13 March 2023
- ^ Laurinatis, Judy (2005), Game-time often means 140 pizzas at Vincent's, web: Pittsburgh Post Gazette, retrieved 13 March 2023
- ^ Demetrius Stock, Alice (2012), Pizza Park owner getting into pasta, too, web: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, retrieved 13 March 2023
- ^ Rex, Stephanie (2012), Vincent's Pizza Park Now Closed, web: Patch, retrieved 13 March 2023
- ^ Pittsburgh landmark Vincent's Pizza Park closes, web: Trib Live, 2012, retrieved 13 March 2023
- ^ Brandolph, Adam (2012), Vincent's, landmark pizza shop in Forest Hills, shut down, web: Trib Live, retrieved 13 March 2023
- ^ Barcousky, Len (2012), Sheriff's sale canceled for Vincent's Pizza Park, web: Pittsburgh Post Gazette, retrieved 13 March 2023
- ^ Brandolph, Adam (2012), Iconic North Braddock pizzeria handed over to founder's daughter, web: Trib Live, retrieved 13 March 2023
- ^ Heyl, Eric (2013), What tops a Vinnie pie return?, web: Trib Live, retrieved 13 March 2023
- ^ Vincent's Pizza Providing Free 'Pandemic Pies' For Frontline Workers, web: CBS News, 2020, retrieved 13 March 2023
- ^ Behe, Rege (2009), 'American Rust' examines those left behind in American dream, web: Trib Live, retrieved 13 March 2023
- ^ "Everybody loves Vincent pizza". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. 20 May 1998. p. 126.