You can get a table at Erie’s Serafini’s Trattoria, if you act fast
Reservations at Serafini’s Trattoria, the hottest ticket in town, open Wednesdays and Thursdays for lunch and weekend evenings for dinner until Oct. 4.
September was the best of times for some Erie restaurants, and what was probably the worst of times for others, but you have to admit, the dining scene around here is never boring.
We saw Serafini’s Trattoria open at last, the Pittsburgh Inn was sold, and something is coming soon with a Speed Check in Summit Township. Mighty Fine Donuts added a day to its hours, and the building formerly know as the Saga Club was transformed into a brand new entity to be open to the public any minute now.
Meanwhile, Erie lost Mi Scuzi to its owner’s personal bankruptcy, and Firebirds, another Millcreek Mall restaurant, was forced to close due to a bad health inspection report before correcting the issues and reopening the next day. Missed anything? Check the links below for more.
Long-awaited Serafini’s Trattoria unveils fresh interior, comfort food, friendly service
Serafini’s Trattoria, inside the old Cashier’s House, at 417 State St., is opening slowly and deliberately, just finishing its second full week of business by invite only.
On Sept. 18, that soft opening included people who had signed up for the restaurant’s loyalty program, coworkers of co-owners Opie Hughes’ and Amanda Serafini’s, as well as journalists and other folks in the owners’ Rolodexes.
“Everything is delicious,” said Kim Balter, of Erie, who was finishing up her Meatball King, a sandwich of “house-made meatballs simmered in Serafini’s spaghetti sauce, with melted mozzarella and served on an Italian roll,” according to the menu ($15).
Speed Check store, restaurant planned in Summit Township
A Speed Check service station and convenience store is planned for construction at Edinboro and Hershey roads in Summit Township.
The development at 7335 Edinboro Road, across from CopperLeaf apartments, also will include a restaurant with drive-through service.
Project plans were approved by township supervisors on Sept. 2. Supervisors earlier approved the transfer of a liquor license for the business, from the former Stevo’s Pizza location on Peninsula Drive in Millcreek.
The new Speed Check is being developed by Lucky Singh, who owns 10 Erie-area Speed Check stores.
As of mid-September, it is not known what restaurant will open at the Summit Township location. A tenant for the restaurant has not been determined, Singh said.
Mi Scuzi restaurant closed in August; owner filed for bankruptcy
The owner of Mi Scuzi Ristorante Italiano has filed for personal bankruptcy, providing some possible clues behind the abrupt closing of the popular locally owned Italian restaurant at the Millcreek Mall on Aug. 20.
Michael Farsace, who relocated Mi Scuzi from the city of Erie to the mall in the summer of 2024, filed an emergency petition for Chapter 7 bankruptcy liquidation in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Erie on Sept. 5.
His debts include nearly $11,000 in overdue state personal income taxes, according to court records.
Pittsburgh Inn owners sell business
The Walls of Honor are coming down. Pittsburgh Inn co-owner Robin Weunski said she will return what pictures she can and make a photo book of the rest of them, because she and her husband, Tom Weunski, have sold the restaurant at 3725 West Lake Road.
“We don’t know anything about (the new owners) other than the fact that they’re two sisters and they have restaurant experience,” Robin Weunski said.
She said that they’re staying open as long as they can while the liquor license is transferred, followed by the deal closing about 10 days after that.
“It’s been an awesome experience, it really has,” Robin Weunski said. “Our community is awesome. We’ve met a lot of people and made a lot of friends.”
Erie County Firebirds restaurant closed, reopened after 7 violations found
Firebirds Wood Fired Grill restaurant at 680 Millcreek Mall was closed Sept. 5 due to five critical and two noncritical violations found in an inspection by the Erie County Health Department. The department ordered the restaurant closed because problems could not be fixed if they remained open.
“The majority of the violations were about cleanliness and sanitation,” said Jesse Stiles, director of Environmental Health Services for Erie County. “It was a hazard. They were closed all day and they worked all day and into the night and that was why they were able to be reinspected and found to have addressed the issues Saturday (Sept. 6) morning.”
Firebirds was closed by the health department Sept. 5 and reinspected and reopened without violations Sept. 6. Firebirds restaurant management refused comment on the closure when reached Sept. 12.
Former Saga Club facility transformed into new Union Club
It started several years ago as a whimsical conversation over beverages. Now, Ryan Zuern, 43, who has 17 years with the Girard Borough Police Department, isn’t only a 40-hour-a-week patrolman, he’s also president of the new Union Club.
The new social club is moments from opening in the former Saga Club building at 3828 Washington Ave. Thanks to a six-figure renovation, the new club will have a full-service lunch and dinner restaurant open to the public, though only members will be able to buy alcohol.
Mighty Fine Donuts, now open 7 days a week
A great day can start with the decision to pick up a dozen Mighty Fines on your way into the office, but until now, that day, were it a Tuesday, could have taken a turn for the worse when you arrived at the store to find the door locked.
Not anymore, according to Mighty Fine Donuts spokeswoman Shari Robinson, who announced Sept. 9 via Facebook that Mighty Fine, 2612 Parade St., will now be open seven days a week.
“It’s always about staffing,” Robinson said, adding that Mighty Fine started opening on Mondays roughly eight months ago. “As long as we have staff to meet the demand, we want to be open every day.”
Contact Jennie Geisler at jgeisler@timesnews.com. Find her weekly newsletter at https://profile.goerie.com/newsletters/erielicious/.
Dining and Cooking