Vito & Salvatore Mazzamuto came to our country many years ago with one goal in mind- work hard and hopefully acquire a piece of the American dream. The brothers knew it wouldn’t be easy, but they had a “do what it takes” attitude to make their dreams
a reality. Having grown up in Italy, they learned the art of pasta making and Italian cooking from their father. One of his lessons focused on pizza- a staple of Italian diets. Although pizzas found in Italy are not quite the same as we have here, a great dough and crust can serve as the foundational basis of any good pie anywhere. And this is where their story begins.

Vito & Salvatore started a pizza shop business 35 years ago in New Jersey in 1973. They called is Sal’s Pizza. They later moved to Pennsylvania and opened what was to be the first of many Original Italian Pizza shops in Mifflinburg primarily serving pizza and subs. OIP quickly became the place to go for great pizza pie.

Their business flourished and continued to grow at their single shop and not long after, they decided to open another one in a nearby town. Again, the business took off and they opened an additional four more shops- all highly successful. They now had six OIP’s scattered throughout the area.

As happy as they were with their achievements, they dreamed of opening a fine dining establishment to add to their name and honor their fathers’ legacy of fine Italian cooking. That dream finally became a reality in the late 90’s when land became available and they built La Primavera Italiano Ristorante & Pizzeria, opening for business in 2001.

La Primavera resembles some of the Trattoria’s one would find in Italy. The décor is clean and simple and not too ostentatious.

Yet there are signs everywhere that speak of a quiet elegance. White tablecloths, dressy window treatments and nice crystal chandeliers are a few of the tasteful elements inside with a blend of nouveau/classic Italian music playing softly in the background. Outside, neatly landscaped greens and flowers are illuminated with white and soft colored lights woven through a few trees and bushes. Romanesque statues grace the restaurant both inside and outside foretelling of the roots of their beloved homeland.

Family owned and operated, Vito is the chef at La Primavera while Salvatore assists in other manners of the business. Both happily share duties here and at their original OIP location in Mifflinburg. Other family members also work in the businesses in various capacities. All enjoy sharing the classic northern and southern Italian dishes with patrons throughout northeast PA. La Primavera represents the culmination of years of experience in prepping fine Italian cooking using time-honored family recipes. They use only the finest ingredients and love putting their personal touches on every meal.

The main dining area seats up to 110 people comfortably; a separate banquet room can accommodate up to 165 for parties, events and overflow when the main dining area is full. La Primavera offers an extensive menu ranging from a full line of Italian pasta such as Penne, Fettuccini, Farfalle, Gnocchi, Rigatoni, Tortellini, Ravioli and Spaghetti.

Most dishes are served with one of these as a side unless you order them on their own. Warm slices of semolina fresh baked bread accompanies all meals. They feature (5) Veal dishes, (2) Beef, (6) Chicken and a wide selection of fresh fish and seafood. Each is prepared in the true Italian style and all served in abundant portions! Of course there are a few signature Antipasto salads and a standard dinner salad that tasted as if they had just chopped all the ingredients fresh to order. For a quick bite or late night snack, they offer several different pizzas, Stromboli and Calzone. And if you’re looking for true Italian deserts, be sure to try their Cannoli, Spumoni or classic Tiramisu- made fresh on premise.

Alcoholic beverages run the gamut of Aperitivo (before meal drinks) to Digestivo (after dinner cordials), and a wonderful wine selection and on-tap and bottled beers.

Prices range from $12-18 for meat dishes, $10 for pasta only- a great value for food so authentic and fresh, you’ll think you’re dining in Tuscany!

Vito & Salvatore and their families look forward to many years of continued service to their patrons of both their eateries. They have proven that all is takes is an entrepreneurial spirit and some good old-fashioned hard work in order to succeed. And this simple formula can work for anyone if it did for two brothers
who came to our country with little more than a dream.

La Primavera is open Tuesday-Thursday 11A-10P, Friday & Saturday 11A-11P, Sunday 11A-10P. In addition to their nightly specials, they serve a Tuesday through Friday buffet from 11-2P and a Sunday buffet 11-3P. They are located on Olde Turnpike Road, Route 45 just outside of Lewisburg. To learn more, check out their website at www.laprimaverarist.com.

The Selin’s Grove Brewing Co., referred to by locals as “the Brew Pub” was established in 1996 but it has the charm of an 18th century colonial tavern.

Hidden away from the traffic of Market Street, in order to access the entrance of the Brew Pub you need to walk down a path and a shallow flight of winding stairs, and through a trellis. There is wheelchair access as well as an easier way to get to the main door from the parking lot in back, but the small journey away from the main road serves to enhance the atmosphere of the restaurant and bar.

The Brew Pub enjoys an intimate setting with rustic stone walls, wooden tables, and lanterns hanging from the ceiling that remind you of old stories set in Revolutionary America. There are rural paintings on the walls and even a cast-iron stove tucked away in the nook of a brick fireplace. The lighting is dim when you first walk in, but your eyes will easily adjust, and there is even an outdoor patio for those who wish to dine outside during warm weather.

The food is simple and inelegant, but tasty. They have a wide variety of soups, salads, and sandwiches, as well as root beer floats, ice cream, and cheesecake for dessert. Their appetizers, such as a small cutting board of fresh cheese, bread, apple slices, and onions, are picturesque and flavorful, all their dairy and produce coming directly from local farms. During St. Patrick’s Feast Week, they served specialty entrees of Corned Beef and Cabbage with Irish Soda Bread, as well as Irish Cheddar Soup and Bailey’s Chocolate Chip Cheesecake.

More impressive, at least for connoisseurs
of specialty beers and ales, is the bar which
boasts a changing number of surprising brews on tap: Snake Drive Stout, Mudpuppy Brown Ale, White Horse Porter, and Kriek, a Belgian-style sour cherry beer. A seasonal specialty they have is Saint Fillian’s Barleywine style Ale, which, according to
the menu, was “brewed in honor
of the 8th century Scottish patron saint of
the insane.”

The brewers take their job very seriously, using the best of ingredients, and creating all the beers, ales, and lagers in an authentic 7 bbl direct-fired brew house. Their attention to quality, as well as their creativity, has resulted in some of the most robust and uniquely-flavored brews in the region, making the Brew Pub something of a local cultural icon. If you stop by, they may also let you sample some of the more bizarre brews if you are not up to drinking a full pint.

The Brew Pub also hosts many special events in the Selinsgrove area. They have live music every Thursday night, from 7 to 10 o’clock, often hiring local bands and folk musicians to play. In the past they have had Halloween costume competitions and float contests, anniversary celebrations, and events where the staff gathers to harvest hops for the brewery. At the Brew Pub, the past March 14th was “Firkin Lucky Friday,” an event that occurs every few months, in which they dispense a cask-conditioned ale from an oak firkin set right on the bar.

If you are in the area in mid-July, the Brew Pub is planning a beer and wine festival, “Hop Vines and Wines,” on Saturday, July 19th from 2 to 6 pm. It should include a genuine look at a wide variety of drinks, while providing a chance to meet locals and get a good view of life in Selinsgrove.

The event will be a benefit for the non-profit organization “Selinsgrove Downtown Revitalization,” and tickets will be on sale at the end of March at either the pub or at the website www.selinsgrovebrewfest.com.

For a closer look at the Selinsgrove Brew Pub, you can visit their website at www.selinsgrovebrewing.com or call them at 570-374-7308. They are open from Wednesday through Sunday, and their address is 121 North Market Street, Selinsgrove, PA 17870.

The Brew Pub is a welcoming, family-friendly environment, but seeing as it is primarily a pub, nobody under the age of 21 is allowed inside without a parent or legal guardian with an acceptable ID. Children are welcome with their parents, but they must go home by 10 pm.