Bread bakery and Italian takeout spot Pane è Pronto opens in Strip District
Aimee DiAndrea’s 94-year-old grandmother, Alice DiAndrea, inspired her granddaughter’s love of fresh bread. Alice DiAndrea sent a recipe and wrote it as a letter.
“And with the letter she sent me a box with all of the ingredients measured out,” said Aimee DiAndrea, outside of Pane è Pronto, an Italian takeout, bread and catering kitchen that she and her husband, chef Dave Anoia, opened Wednesday in Pittsburgh’s Strip District. “My grandmother’s bread had the texture of a sourdough and the flavor of ciabatta. She definitely played a big part in this.”
Utilizing family recipes is nothing new for this couple. They’ve incorporated the Italian flavor of dishes made by loved ones in not only the bakery but other establishments. They opened DiAnoia’s Eatery in 2016, located nearby. In 2019, they introduced Pizzeria Davide alongside it, and added a Robinson Township location this summer. A third Pizzeria Davide location is slated to open in Carnegie later this year.
The bakery name means “bread is ready.” You can smell the freshness the minute the door opens.
The bakery features homemade breads and ready-made meals such as greens and beans, meatballs, lasagna and chicken parmesan. Salads and pasta will be available by the pound, along with packaged homemade sauces from several of DiAnoia’s signature dishes.
The couple had leased the space, a half-block away from their primary Strip District location, before the pandemic, Anoia said. They had to make some adjustments because of covid-19. There will be take-home dinners in addition to the fresh breads. Some will be ready-to-eat while others such as sauce and pasta, can be purchased and taken home to make later.
Jeff Olenych of Ben Avon bought bread, pastries, pasta sauce and a cup of coffee.
“I am very familiar with Dave and Aimee’s restaurants,” he said. “I know this will be super authentic and fresh. They are inspired by their Italian roots. I don’t think there is anything else like this in Pittsburgh.”
DiAndrea said they plan to offer breads not usually sold in Pittsburgh. They plan to have three different sourdough, two focaccia and one ciabatta daily with seasonal choices available throughout the year.
The space has a 2,000-square-foot kitchen where bread manager Nick Malburg, who starts baking at 4 a.m., will debut a variety of choices from different regions of Italy, including Calabrian pitta, different styles of focaccia, and ciabatta. He will make sourdough recipes and a selection of pastries such as raspberry Danish and Nutella bombolini.
“Everything they do comes out so beautifully,” said Emily Heise of Dormont. “There is nothing like this bread anywhere else that I know of. They will be super successful, now and when things return to some normalcy as well.”
Pane è Pronto is located at 2627 Penn Ave., Strip District
Hours are 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday (at 10 a.m. daily, they will have hot dishes available for takeout).
JoAnne Klimovich Harrop is a TribLive reporter covering the region's diverse culinary scene and unique homes. She writes features about interesting people. The Edward R. Murrow award-winning journalist began her career as a sports reporter. She has been with the Trib for 26 years and is the author of "A Daughter's Promise." She can be reached at jharrop@triblive.com.
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