Full hearts, full bellies.
The people behind Primaveras Pizza made the menu with patrons in mind, filling it with Italian staples such as Chicken Parmesan, Tomato Basil Pizza and desserts that use fresh ingredients.
The eatery on 1554 Gardner Ave., Scranton, opened in 2012, and Chef’s Table chatted with Fjollza Asani, who runs the restaurant with her family.
Christopher Dolan / Staff Photographer
Q: What is the history of the restaurant?
A: Our building was originally a church that then turned into a schoolhouse. The top structure of our building is believed to have housed the original church bell. It later became Scuba America before being transformed into the restaurant that is now Primaveras.
Q: What type of food do you serve?
A: Homemade Italian cuisine and hand-tossed pizza.
Q: What’s your specialty?
A: Our specialty starts at the door with our hospitality that will make you feel right at home. We provide a full-course meal journey from our daily homemade soups, garlic knots, marinara sauce, Italian pasta and desserts that are made in-house. We take great pride in using the freshest ingredients to provide our customers with an authentic Italian cuisine experience.
Q: How did your menu come to be?
A: When creating our menu, we wanted to provide options that gave our customers family favorites — food that made you feel at home both in your heart and in your belly. That is where we compose our classic Italian dishes. We also wanted to provide our customers with a variety of sandwich and salad items to fulfill any possible craving.
Q: What are your most popular dishes and drinks?
A: Our most popular dinner is hands-down our Chicken Parmesan. It features tenderized chicken that is hand-breaded, smothered in our homemade marinara sauce and topped with melted mozzarella cheese and a side of pasta. The Shrimp Primavera also is a customer favorite. It features shrimp sautéed with fresh vegetables in an oil and garlic sauce over pasta. Haddock Francaise is another popular dish that features fresh haddock dipped in an egg batter that is cooked in a lemon, butter and white wine sauce and served over pasta. Our most popular pizza is our fresh Tomato Basil Pizza with garlic and our Clams Casino Pizza that includes clams, onions, bacon and garlic. As far as drinks go, while we don’t offer any alcoholic drinks, we are BYOB.
Q: What type of seating do you have?
A: We offer a cozy dine-in atmosphere with eight tables that can seat up to 32 customers. Reservations are highly recommended no matter the day of the week.
Q: What kinds of entertainment and specials do you offer?
A: We offer daily specials that feature items off the menu and discounts on our regular menu items. We do not have any live entertainment; however, our Primaveras staff does not fall short in providing their own type of entertainment.
Q: Do you offer catering, event space, etc.?
A: With advance notice and availability, we can offer small private events at our restaurant. We cater for all occasions and provide the best quality for any special event.
Q: Do you currently offer takeout, delivery or curbside pickup?
A: We currently provide takeout and curbside pickup.
Q: Where do you see the restaurant headed in the future?
A: We hope to continue to build a strong and friendly relationship with our customers, many of whom have turned into family.
Laura Rysz is the features copy editor and calendar editor at The Times-Tribune and runs the Talk of the Times column, which focuses on local fundraisers and other events. She also writes Chef’s Table that profiles restaurants around the region. Additionally, Laura curates events online on AccessNEPA.com. Laura is involved in the special Mother’s Day edition and curates occasional features Marry Memories and Times Travelers. She is a graduate of Haddonfield Memorial High School, New Jersey, and earned an English professional writing degree with a minor in mass communications from King’s College, Wilkes-Barre. She also earned a certificate in Social Media Marketing from Rutgers Business School. Contact: lrysz@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9100 x5228.
