Nino and Jerry LoPresti stand in their Allentown restaurant, La Piazza.
A seafood dish features fresh-made mango salsa.
Special offered at La Piazza: a salad of Sicilian zucchini, potato and tomato.
La Piazza Ristorante owners have served Italian favorites in Allentown since 1998.
By Lisa Zola-DeLibero
It’s not often that someone is sitting in traffic on the way to LBI, looks over at a for sale sign on a building, says, “This would make a great place for a restaurant”—and makes it happen.
For Nino LoPresti, sitting in the car for an extended length of time on his way to the shore was the start of a dream becoming a reality. And 15 years later, the rest is history.
La Piazza Ristorante, a restaurant known to many as a place to get “scrumptious” Italian food, “succulent” steaks, and “delectable” pork chops, opened on Sept. 30, 1998. Jerry LoPresti, the son of Nino and part owner of the restaurant located on 11 Church St. in Allentown, is very humble about his restaurant, saying that it is a Mom and Pop place.
“We have a very supportive community,” LoPresti said. “Without our wonderful customers, we wouldn’t be here. We want everyone who comes here to feel like family.”
And feel like family they do. Like many Italian restaurants in the area, La Piazza is divided into two sections; a pizza parlor on one side, and on the other, a full-service dining room.
In the cozy environment, people of all ages dine on dishes made to order that have become favorites for many, such as the pasta e fagioli, Chicken Di Casa and— the No. 1 favorite—vodka rigatoni. The menu offers a variety of items, such as appetizers, salads, soups, vegetables, grilled entrees, Italian classics of veal and chicken, fish, pasta specialties, wood fire oven pizzas and regular pizzas, panzerotti, hoagies, hot sandwiches, burgers and paninis. There is also a large selection of food choices on the children’s menu.
“Anything that we cook, we really like,” LoPresti said. “But if I had to pick a favorite, for me it would be the Chicken Maurizio.”
The dish features chicken with sautéed mushrooms, eggplant and ham in a light marinara, topped with mozzarella cheese over bowtie pasta.
Customers aren’t the only ones treated like family at LaPiazza. The staff is, too, which is good considering some of the employees are actually related. Enza Tukon, Nino’s daughter, has been a waitress since the day the restaurant opened, and said she loves working with her family.
For Ian Schaefer, a 2009 graduate of Allentown High School, La Piazza is a great place to work.
“The owners are some of the nicest people I have ever met and have worked for,” said Schaefer, a host who has been working there for many years. “What’s really great about working here too is the fact that we get to know most of our customers on a first-name basis.”
Waitress Jessica Ristow, a 2008 Hamilton West graduate, has been working at the restaurant for eight years, part time.
“I’ll never leave this place,” said Ristow, who works full time as an X-ray technician. “This is the best place and the best family I have ever worked for. All of the customers are wonderful. This really is the best job I have ever had.”
Sharing the sentiment is Pat Donoher, who has been an employee of the restaurant for the last 10 years.
“Jerry and Nino are fantastic,” Donoher said. “They treat me like family, and they have a great reputation in the community.”
Each year, the restaurant gives a scholarship to a student at Allentown High School who will be attending a culinary school, LoPresti said.
“If it is one student, it is $500. If there are two students who will be getting the scholarship, then we give each student at least $250, sometimes a little more. We always like to help the students and other members who are in need in our community,” he said.
Lo Presti is celebrating more than 15 years in business. He revealed that the restaurant will also now be the sole caterers for the Hilton Garden Inn in Hamilton.
“We had a goal that we wanted to reach, and we reached it,” he said. “This is something we were after for a long time. We will be catering all of the social events at the hotel, and some weddings. We are very happy about this.”
So for Jerry LoPresti, life in the restaurant business is good.
“I still feel great, even after my fifteenth year, every morning and every night, “ LoPresti said. “I look at this place and I can’t believe it’s mine.”
La Piazza Ristorante is located at 11 Church Street in Allentown. Hours: Sunday-Thursday, 10:30 a.m.-10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 10:30 a.m.-11 p.m. Phone: (609) 208-0640 Web: lapiazzaristorante.com
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