In the heart of Millvale’s pulsing streets, Sprezzatura, a customizable catering and convenient counter-service café company knows how to flourish with flavor in the true essence of the Italian meaning of its business name. With a certain nonchalance indeed, Jen Saffron, owner of Sprezzatura, and her dedicated and talented team deliver that innate free spirit and vitality with bold, healthy dishes to nourish and live out loud with Italian heritage-inspired foods.
This small but mighty, woman-owned business does it all from hosting niche in-café events that include jazz nights and wine tastings to supporting other local artists through its newest Wednesday evening get-togethers. Plus, visit Sprezzatura during the Millvale Music Festival for live music in the café from 2-10 PM on August 7, 2021. Find all the ongoing events, Sprezzatura staples, specials, and seasonal items through its online menu here.
In feeding those in need, Sprezzatura has a community food program in two parts: participation in the Community Takeout program with 412 Food Rescue, both in its facility and in the program, and direct support for Millvale families and individuals through Sprezzatura’s own Community Food program. For more information, scroll to the bottom of Sprezzatura’s Community Food portion of the online ordering website.
Sprezzatura’s café and catering menus serve fresh, locally sourced ingredients as much as possible with organic produce, herbs, eggs, and meats. Did we mention that Sprezzatura is a designated gold-level sustainable restaurant with Sustainable Pittsburgh Restaurants? It fosters small business creativity and community togetherness in Millvale while also supporting local farms in our region. Here are four local farms with which Sprezzatura supports and partners with to deliver its mouthwatering masterpieces:
1. Jarosinski Farm
Located in Sarver, Pennsylvania, Jarosinski Farms has a mission to “Keep it Natural.” With its farm-to-table mantra, the farm raises cage-free brown eggs, pastured poultry, all-natural pork, and beef. As a first-generation farmer and business owner, Kevin Jarosinski, offers his ethical way of farming and helps to deliver farm-fresh necessities like eggs, chickens, and rabbits to Sprezzatura.
2. Blackberry Meadows Farm
Located 30 minutes outside of the city, Blackberry Meadows Farm is a certified organic fruit and vegetable Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farmland that fosters its nutrition through permaculture, biodynamic, and sustainable best practices. It has meats, poultry, and pantry items to keep fresh foods stocked and ready to cook. Interestingly enough, it has an open-door farm policy, in which Blackberry Meadows Farm offers the opportunity to join the owners in the fields to learn how to produce your own harvest.
3. Tiny Seed Farm
Based in Allison Park, Tiny Seed Farm, a small-scale CSA, prides itself on its vast selection of organic produce including vegetables to make you stronger like beets, tomatoes, escarole, carrots, and an abundance more. Plus, treat yourself to a bouquet of eye-catching flowers by picking them up at the Bloomfield Saturday Market! You can also sign up for its CSA here.
4. be.wild.er farm
Homegrown since 2016, be.wild.er utilizes its two acres of land to use organic practices to grow nutritious, bountiful vegetables. Eggplant, broccoli, Tropea onions, peas, and more, the farm dedicates itself to delivering accessible ways to grab those veggies. Catch be.wild.er at the Bloomfield Saturday Market (Sprezzatura also has a booth) or text sign up for its After Market CSA.
This content was provided by a local, independent contributor to Made in PGH, a lifestyle blog.