Delicious Italian food, same trusted recipes for 18 years. Come check out our restaurant, bar, live music, homemade desserts, and full service catering!
Balzano’s Italian Kitchen
Past, Present, and Future
For 18 years, Balzano’s has been a staple of the downtown restaurant scene. Offering delicious Italian food with a variety of services, the business has grown from a small restaurant on East Street to a multi-location restaurant and catering business.
In May of 2012, Balzano’s catering demands left the small kitchen at 208 East Street and opted to try expanding. Balzano’s left its little Italian Kitchen on East Street to open the doors at 112 East Main and settle into a new, bigger home. The “new” Balzano’s continues to grow into its identity as a large, metropolitan-like restaurant with full service catering, a bar, and a great live music scene.
However, yet another new chapter is to be written. Lucy has decided that with her own family growing, it’s time for the restaurant at 112 E Main Street to take flight under new ownership. Marissa Scala bought the building and liquor license with her sister, Megan, in 2012. Together they renovated they building, to restore its natural beauty, while creating the dining room Lucy envisioned as the next step on the journey of her business. After the loss of Mr. B. in January of 2013, and the birth of her first grandchildren (twins!) just this summer, Lucy said selling Balzano’s Italian Kitchen to Marissa “seemed to be the perfect fit at the perfect time.” Marissa’s values and visions for the future of the restaurant that Lucy and her dad built together were just what she was looking for. Keeping the 14-year veteran executive chef, Brandon Stahl, in our kitchen means that Mr. B’s recipes will have the same special touches as they always have. Lucy knows Marissa will keep the spirit of an authentic, family-oriented restaurant, and bring a new and exciting breath into the tradition of good food, warm hospitality, and families and friends together around the table.
On October 1, 2014, Marissa Scala will officially have become the new owner and operator of the restaurant at 112 East Main Street. Although most of the original Balzano’s Italian Kitchen menu will remain the same, Marissa plans on bringing new ideas into the area, including: infused oils with a self-serve station, custom Italian seasonal gift baskets with imported cheeses, farm-to-table meats, fresh homemade in-house ravioli and baked goods, an increased wine selection, and much more! Live music will continue to be a part of weekends at Balzano’s, as well as 9-11pm martini happy hours with half-priced appetizers. Catering will be available for private parties, family-style events in our dining room, off-site, and a refurbished catering hall will be unveiled later this fall in our downstairs room. Marissa plans to hold a grand re-opening on November 1st with live music, special guests, and new and exciting authentic Italian foods. Everyone is welcome!
The future of Lucy’s location at 208 East Street is the culmination of her 16 years in business, full circle. “We’re going back to our roots,” with a focus on pizzas, stromboli, salads, soups, and Italian comfort foods while adding our own twist to traditional local fare. Lucy’s Kitchen and Catering will be a step toward keeping her love for food in downtown Bloomsburg, with a little less on her plate. “I’m excited to start my new, little, old place.” Lucy’s Catering at Rolling Pines and Lucy’s Kitchen and Catering at 208 East Street will still offer the same great catering menus, staff, coordinators, and chefs.
“Changes are hard, and this one is very bittersweet,” Lucy shared, “but I couldn’t be more excited about the future of Balzano’s Italian Kitchen. Marissa is going to make some incredibly wonderful things happen with her deep commitment to family and the community. I know she will carry on the tradition of Balzano’s.”
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