Dish Osteria will close its doors on April 22 after 17 years in business, owners Michele and Cindy Savoia said Sunday.
Mr. and Mrs. Savoia met with employees Sunday afternoon at the South Side restaurant to inform them before posting their decision on social media.
A post on the restaurant’s Facebook page read: “After 17 wild and exhilarating years at Dish Osteria and Bar, we have decided it’s time to take a sabbatical. The last night of service before our break will be Saturday April 22, 2017, about a month from now. Our time away from Dish will allow us to catch our breath and dedicate ourselves further to our passion for food, which will lead to our next chapter."
The restaurant, which opened in the summer of 2000, was quickly and consistently one of the most highly regarded cocktail lounges and restaurants in the city, specializing is seafood and rustic Sicilian fare.
Melissa McCart, while writing in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in 2012, described the restaurant as “the Steve McQueen of Pittsburgh restaurants, Dish has cultivated a style that set precedent for neighborhood eateries ... the place remains engaging and even progressive.
In their statement, the Savoias thanked their many customers and employees.
“You have shared with us so many important moments and contributed to making Dish what it has become. A place that has not only been a restaurant and bar where guests come to enjoy a dining experience, but also a place where many of you have kept coming to see familiar faces, share your stories, engage with new comers, and make new friends.
"We met many of you when you were barely legal to drink, and now you’re asking us for high chairs. There have been so many stories that go beyond the dining experience in and of itself, too many to tell on these pages. We will miss you all so much and in making this decision, we realize even more how much of a family you have been to us.”
First Published: March 26, 2017, 6:35 p.m.