Sewickley's Bridgeside Market serves up Italian hospitality
Customers are never a number at Bridgeside Market in Sewickley.
The traditional New York-style, Italian-themed deli serves up Boar’s Head meats, freshly made Italian specialties, sandwiches, hot foods and grab-and-go items and offers a wide variety of Italian foods and locally sourced food items.
But don’t look for a ticket-taker machine while waiting to order.
“I want to know my customers by name, not a number,” said co-owner Michael Modugno, a chef, father, Army veteran, son and husband working alongside co-owner and his wife of 13 years, Jennie.
The couple opened Bridgeside Market in 2018 after relocating from their home state of Connecticut and moving to Sewickley.
Michael Modugno was raised in the restaurant industry, as his parents owned delis and restaurants in Connecticut.
“I worked at deli back home when I was 15. I learned a lot from them. I was never formally taught,” he said.
A proud Army veteran, Michael served two tours with the 101st Airborne in Iraq and Afghanistan and first visited Pittsburgh as a teenager.
He recalled walking around the Strip District and thinking, “I like it here. I could live here.”
His great-grandfather immigrated from Italy to Pittsburgh, and that imprinted on him.
Michael Modugno’s parents, Dominick and Patricia Modugno, also moved from Connecticut to Pittsburgh and supplied all of the family recipes, including handing down the family’s meatball, dough and fresh mozzarella recipes.
They both help out at Bridgeside, and Nonna Patricia Modugno is the Bridgeside baker.
A large black-and-white framed photo of Modugno ancestors hangs high up behind the service counter and reads “A Tavola Non S’Invecchia,” which translated from Italian means “at the table, one does not grow old.”
Patricia Modugno keeps the dessert counter stocked and always bakes a wide variety of goodies.
“My carrot cake and tiramisu are very popular, and it’s always something different,” she said. “Working with my son is something I like. I’m very happy to work with this beautiful group.”
The top seller (more than 40,000 sold since opening) is the Italian combo sandwich served with ham, soppressata, salami, capicola, provolone, roasted peppers, lettuce, tomato and balsamic.
Other hearty deli sandwiches include the California love, served with oven-roasted turkey, Swiss, avocado, arugula and pesto mayo; and the Tommy pastrami and London’s burning, a London broil roast beef sandwich with cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickled onions, cherry peppers and a garlic aioli.
The meatball Parm specialty sandwich leads the hot sandwich pack.
Other hot choices are the sausage and peppers, chicken Parm and the mighty Mick, served with steak, provolone, peppers, onions and mushrooms.
Michael Modugno makes a small batch of specialty sandwiches during each lunch shift.
“People look forward to that, and they go stuffed breads, pizzas and quick things because most of our customers are working people, and they’re in and out,” he said.
The specialty hot foods menu include something for the herbivore, omnivore and the carnivore, with pizzas (homemade dough also sold for the at-home-DIY pizza chefs), pepperoni rolls, veggie sandwiches and eggplant parmesan stuffed bread and rice balls.
“I feel like we finally made it and we’re solid. Covid was such a good test, but to have a business that can adapt and bend … when there was no catering during covid because there were no parties, we grew our market and grab-and-go. People started cooking and baking during that time, so we added more products,” Jennie Modugno said.
For her, it is important to be available to the customers.
“Our main focus here is to really interact and talk with customers here,” she said. “We want to know everyone and know everyone’s names.”
And if you need a little guidance navigating the aged balsamic vinegars, extra-virgin olive oils, Italian sauces and pastas, just ask.
“That’s my favorite. I like to be able to show people around and talk recipes,” Jennie said.
Regular customers have subs informally named after them — like the Jim and the Paul.
Bridgeside serves breakfast sandwiches all day, and the handmade beef meatballs are sold individually.
“We make the sauce, pound the chicken for the cutlets, homemade everything,” Jennie Modugno said.
Michael Modugno arrives around 6 a.m. and during the holiday season often remains in the kitchen until 3 a.m.
“Business is booming. We have made adjustments to handle peak hours and to handle the catering,” Michael Modugno said.
Customers include sports stars from the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Steelers.
“They come in and we’re on a first-name basis, but everyone leaves them alone. I’m a big fan,” Michael Modugno said.
He maintains a veteran tribute wall inside the deli, where veterans post pictures from their various military tours.
“It means a lot to me, and we have a lot of veterans that come in,” Michael Modugno said. “I feel like we’re the deli staple now. The No. 1 feedback I get from customers is on the friendliness of the staff.”
Bridgeside Market is at 201 Chestnut St., Sewickley. 412-259-8732 or info@sewickleybridgeside.com.
Joyce Hanz is a native of Charleston, S.C. and is a features reporter covering the Pittsburgh region. She majored in media arts and graduated from the University of South Carolina. She can be reached at jhanz@triblive.com
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