“I vividly remember going to visit my maternal grandparents, Carmelo and Edith, each Sunday after mass when I was a young girl.  Carmelo immigrated to America in the 1900’s from the small Sicilian town of Villarosa. Like many during that time, he was looking to escape the bitter poverty that was present in Southern Italy. Carmelo established a shoemaker shop on West Pittsburgh Street, just a few blocks from the County Courthouse in Greensburg. Craftsmanship was important to him and he was so proud to make shoes for the judges, lawyers and business people in town. After establishing his shop, he was introduced to my grandmother, who happened to be from Caltenissetta, a small town not far from where my grandfather grew up in Sicily. They married and bought the house adjacent to my grandfather’s business where they raised my mother and her six brothers and sisters.

Everyone called my grandmother ‘Vita,’ which in Italian means life, and she certainly was the life of our family, full of energy. As a young girl, I remember a homestead buzzing with aunts, uncles, and cousins. Sunday was our big day to gather, eat, and share in each other’s company. I was always by Vita’s side helping her and my mother prepare the homemade pasta, and the Sunday Sauce; a slowly simmered tomato sauce with meatballs, and pork or beef roast. After we were all full of pasta, Vita would bring out the salad, which our family always ate last, tossed in her special olive oil and vinegar dressing. Vita also always had soda pop for us kids as a special treat, something we never had at my house. These weekly meals and the memories that go along with them, fostered my love of cooking. Just like Vita, I see making food as an act of kindness and affection.

In 1990, my family had the opportunity to establish La Vita’s in the very same homestead that I enjoyed those Sunday meals in so many years ago. Throughout the years, we have prided ourselves in serving quality, homestyle Italian food specialties in a simple, straightforward way. Just like my grandfather, we take great pride in our work and the food we prepare every day. We want our patrons to feel like they’re dining at the home of an Italian grandma (because they are!).

We serve many Italian staples, like Chicken Parmesan, Lasagna and Spaghetti and Meatballs. Our signature dish is Chicken Piccata which we serve with a bit of a twist; with the addition of artichoke hearts to the traditional wine and caper sauce. We also make hallmark Italian immigrant meals, such as Pasta e Piselli (pasta with peas), and Pasta with Anchovy, as well as seasonal specialties like Pizza Rustica (Savory Easter Pie) that you might not find at other Italian American restaurants, Many have told us these dishes bring back memories for them of foods their own Italian grandmothers made.

Echoing those Sunday meals I loved as a child, we specialize in group catering, and family-style dining.

As we celebrate our third decade of business, our family looks forward to continuing to serve you in a style that would make ‘Vita’ proud.”

Rosann Veenis,
Proprietor