Many people who dined at the former Primadonna restaurant in McKees Rocks can recall walking in the door and immediately being greeted by the owner.
Joe “Joe Joe” Costanzo Jr. would approach with arms wide open and a hearty laugh. Minutes later, guests were seated and out came a heaping plate of fried zucchini – often on the house.
A similar scene will play out at 6:30 p.m. on May 13 at The Kitchen by Vangura in North Huntingdon. Costanzo, a Greenfield native, and his friend and Primadonna patron Pittsburgh’s own Jack Hunt, also known as Johnny Angel of Johnny Angel and the Halos, will welcome guests.
The event is called “In the Vangura Kitchen with Johnny Angel On The Rocks: Tasting and Talking with Johnny Angel and Primadonna Restaurant Owner Joe Costanzo.”
“The evening will feature a stroll down memory lane McKees Rocks style,” said Maria Costanzo Palmer, Costanzo’s daughter and co-author of the book “On the Rocks: The Primadonna Story.” “People tell us all the time that they miss the restaurant.”
Courtesy of Maria Costanzo Palmer
Maria Costanzo Palmer poses for a photo with her father Joe “Joe Joe” Costanzo Jr. at a book event for “On the Rocks: The Primadonna Story” at Barnes and Noble in Greensburg in November 2023.
The book chronicles the real-life journey of restaurateur Costanzo from his rise to success in the 1990s as owner of the Primadonna to his sharp fall in the early 2000s, ending with an investigation and a stint in federal prison.
Primadonna recipes will be on the menu, including the aforementioned famous fried zucchini with marinara sauce.
Garlic toast with red roasted peppers marinated in the Primadonna dressing will be served on Mancini’s bread from the McKees Rocks-based bakery.
Courtesy of Maria Costanzo Palmer Courtesy of Krystal Vangura
Roasted red peppers marinated in the Primadonna dressing will be served on Mancini’s bread.
Spaghetti con sausage with Ricci’s loose hot sausage in a red sauce and chicken marsala will also be served. Donna’s famous frozen chocolate cheesecake will finish off the meal.
It is BYOB.
Director of customer relations for The Kitchen by Vangura Krystal Vangura said the space is perfect for this event and that it will be a “great evening.”
The idea stemmed from Hunt’s previous cooking events at Vangura. Rachael Rennebeck, Hunt’s daughter and co-founder of Ya Jagoff Media with John Chamberlin, was interviewing Palmer about the food-themed events she had hosted while promoting the book.
“It will be a fun interactive way to bring the restaurant back to life for one night,” Palmer said. “The food-based experiences that we’ve been doing in Pittsburgh and beyond have been proving to be our most sought-after events. Johnny Angel and my dad have such great chemistry together.”
Guests will feel like they are back in the restaurant at the event, Chamberlin said.
Courtesy of Rachel Lovas
Joe “Joe Joe” Costanzo Jr. and his wife Donna Costanzo with their daughters Maria Costanzo Palmer (left) and Kelly Argirakis (right) at the launch of the book “On the Rocks: The Primadonna Story” in August 2023 at the Senator John Heinz History Center.
There will be trivia and a discussion about the book.
“Joe is a friend to everybody,” said Hunt, who will do most of the cooking. “When you stepped into his restaurant, you were family. He invited you to sit around the table and enjoy an Italian meal. This event will be nostalgic. It will create the feeling of being back in the Primadonna in the ‘Rocks.’”
Limited tickets are available online at thekitchenbyvangura.com for $67.50.
JoAnne Klimovich Harrop is a TribLive reporter covering the region’s diverse culinary scene and unique homes. She writes features about interesting people and a weekly column about things to do in Pittsburgh. 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 [email protected].
