The Pepperwood Grille, former Baggy Knee bar-restaurant owner Pat Germano's newest eating establishment, will go "live" next Friday, Sept. 10.
"We will be doing 'live' trial runs before the grand opening, on Sept. 14," Germano said. "We are planning the first live night as Friday, Sept. 10, and that night will be dedicated to the Greensburg and Hempfield area's volunteer firemen. The New York firemen have been honored and so have others, but these guys do what they do and they all are volunteers."
The following night likewise will be live, or a time to work out potential problems and bugs, with invited guests including all who had a hand in the project, along with local business and community leaders, Germano said.
Located along Route 30, in front of Westmoreland Mall east of Greensburg, the Pepperwood name is a combination of how the restaurant's food will be prepared and some of the ingredients used in preparation.
"The new restaurant's menu will be southern Italian mixed grill," according to Germano, including flown-in seafood carved whole by chefs, then cooked on hardwood and seasoned with various peppers and other spices. The eclectic menu's entrees start at $7.95.
The Pepperwood Grille's decor will be a mixture of styles, with open ceilings and the use of stone, soft woods, carpeting and tile, according to Germano. It will feature what he called exhibition cooking, or food preparation "done right as you come in the door," and a large stone fireplace allowing guests to sit and relax prior to dining.
The restaurant will offer seating for 250 inside, with an additional 110 seats on a canopied outdoor patio. It will employ about 60 full- and part-time workers.
