Veal Ossobuco. Skuna Bay Salmon. Margherita Pizza.
These are all dishes being served straight from the wood-fired oven at Dal Forno in Irwin.
Last month, the restaurant re-opened after a post-summer revamp of their restaurant and menu. Dal Forno is now heating things up with a brand-new menu focused on the restaurant’s signature wood-fired ovens – which give off the heat at 700 degrees Fahrenheit.
Previously, Dal Forno was known for their pizzas, crisped to perfection in the Italian-made ovens. For owner and chef Steve Salvi, a serendipitous dinner with his family encouraged him to expand the offerings prepared in his restaurant’s wood-fired ovens.
While tinkering with his oven and working on the renovation, Salvi often had his family in the space, and would use the ovens to cook diner.
“We started throwing things we eat at home into the oven,” says Salvi. “We cooked up some chicken and such and thought, ‘Oh wait, that’s good.'”
With the pizza section paired down, the focus turns to the restaurant’s new entrée selection, which includes options such as Veal Ossobuco, Gerber Half Chicken, and USDA Prime Ribeye.
All of dishes, prepared in the oven by Dal Forno’s specially-trained chefs, have a slightly smoky edge, and highlight our region’s freshest local produce, as well as local and imported meats, seafood and cheeses.
A hallmark of the new menu is Dal Forno’s tender Ossobuco, which falls apart with a fork, and pairs wonderfully with a bottle of red wine from the restaurant’s expansive beverage program.
Another delicious new avenue pursued in the ovens is the introduction of wood-roasted seasonal side dishes. Guests will love the Brussels Sprouts with goat cheese, Mascarpone & Roasted Garlic Whipped Potatoes, and the Mac-N-Cheese, made with boursin.
Our personal favorite, the Roasted Spaghetti Squash with bacon, honey butter and candied pecans, is the perfect Fall dish to accompany everything on the menu.
Unassuming from the outside, the restaurant is located inside the Banco Business Park. Dal Forno is located next door to their sister-restaurant, Cenacolo, a popular North Huntingdon restaurant famous for their pasta.
From the outside, Dal Forno and Cenacolo look like just another address in the business plaza, but once inside, you’re transported into a spacious and inviting restaurant.
In addition to the menu expansion, Dal Forno underwent a major renovation, giving the restaurant a bigger space to host more events like weddings, rehearsal dinners, and showers. There is also a full bar area, and a separate whiskey cigar room.
Salvi also owns Fede, a wholesale pasta business that began in his basement in 2005 after working at Lidia’s in The Strip. This pasta-making endeavor was the genesis for opening both Cenacolo and Dal Forno.
Located just off 76, Dal Forno is easily accessible from Pittsburgh and is food worth driving for.
While in the neighborhood, be sure to check out other Irwin gems like Kerber’s Dairy (ice cream) and Laurel Highlands Meadery.
Dal Forno (2000 Commerce Loop, North Huntingdon)
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