Heyl: Health-minded, trendy diners doom landmark eatery Del's

Historically, this is a big blow to Pittsburgh's Little Italy.

For 65 years, Del's Bar & Ristorante DelPizzo was one of the first things motorists saw entering Bloomfield off the bridge bearing that neighborhood's name. The restaurant was the go-to destination for authentic Italian fare, a place where neighbors convened to celebrate a graduation or reminisce about a loved one immediately after a funeral.

Now it's time to hold a wake for Del's. The Liberty Avenue mainstay will shut its doors forever May 2.

“We can't make it anymore,” said Marianne DelPizzo, 61, who co-owns the restaurant with her brother, John, and her mother, Josephine. “We're losing money. This city is growing young and trendy, and we're kind of old-fashioned.”

Del's can trace its origins to a small grocery the DelPizzo family opened in Larimer in 1909. Shortly thereafter, the space was converted into a small eatery named the Meadow Grill that was rechristened Del's when the restaurant moved to Bloomfield in 1949.

The place thrived for decades but went into a gradual downward spiral that several years ago left it on the brink of closure. The situation became so dire that in 2012, Del's was selected to receive a makeover on the popular Food Network program “Restaurant: Impossible.”

Two days and $10,000 in renovations later, under the direction of British celebrity chef Robert Irvine, Del's had a remodeled dining area and updated food choices.

“I had asked God to help me, and ‘Restaurant: Impossible' kept us alive for a few years longer,” DelPizzo said. “We changed our look, we changed our menu. It just wasn't quite enough. People had an image of Del's that they just couldn't get out of their minds.”

But part of the problem, DelPizzo acknowledged, was the restaurant's inability to adapt to changing times.

“I can't keep up with the craft beers and infusion drinks,” she said. “And young people today, all they care about is healthy food and small portions. They're trying all the new places. There's no loyalty anymore.”

DelPizzo said Del's was sold to Hugh “Herky” Pollock, executive vice president of real estate firm CBRE.

“Our plans include replacing an iconic restaurant with another that will hopefully last as long and be as prestigious as Del's,” Pollock said Thursday. “Additionally, we'll be adding eight apartments to the development.”

Pollock is a partner in the ownership group of the popular, expanding local Burgatory chain. But asked if a Burgatory is replacing Del's, he said, “No chance.”

DelPizzo said there isn't much of a chance that she or her family members will own another restaurant.

“But I'm going to stay in the business,” she said. “I don't know how to be off on weekends, I don't know how to be off on holidays.”

Though DelPizzo said she and her mother have shed many tears over Del's impending closure, she tries to keep the end of this era in Little Italy in perspective.

“We put our heart and souls into this place,” she said. “We were here for 65 years. I don't consider us failures.”

Eric Heyl is a Trib Total Media staff writer. He can be reached at 412-320-7857 or eheyl@tribweb.com.