STORY
Alfabeto and City of Asylum
Alfabeto is situated at the heart of Alphabet City and supports the not-for-profit City of Asylum, which hosts performances from world-class musicians, authors, and translators about three nights a week. Visit us to experience the world stage right in the heart of Pittsburgh.
Sustainability
Chef Maurizio Esposito is dedicated to sustainability and is committed to respecting the planet and paying homage to the beautiful produce it provides. He was the inaugural winner of Australia's leading daily newspaper's Sustainability Award for his commitment to humane and earth-friendly practices in his sustainable fish restaurant, Esposito. All dishes and sauces at Cucina Alfabeto are made from scratch using Northern Italian traditions and informed by Chef's 35 years of experience working in some of the world's top kitchens including Enoteca Pinchiorri in Florence and Pied à Terre in London, and trained by some of the most recognized names in the culinary arts including Alain Ducasse, Stephanie Alexander, Richard Neat, Carlo Cracco and his mentor, where it all began, at Stephanie's in Melbourne, Robert Castellani.
Chef Esposito works closely with local farmers and sources only sustainably farmed and nurtured fish and meat.
Chef Maurizio Esposito
Maurizio's parents moved from Italy to Australia in the late 1960's and he grew up speaking Italian until he went to school. He started his life as a professional tennis player before he decided to put down his rackets and replace them with very sharp knives. From an early age he worked in his parents’ restaurant, Vivaldi's in the heart of Melbourne before he was taken under the wing of Australia's preeminent chef and cookbook author, Stephanie Alexander, whose book The Cook's Companion, sold more than 1/2 a million copies. He traveled extensively in his 20s and worked in some of Europe's finest restaurants before returning to run and transform some of Australia's leading restaurants including Otto's, Stokehouse, Donovan's and Cecconi's to name just a few. Since moving to Pittsburgh in December 2023, he first worked as Executive Chef of Fish nor Fowl, which under his watch was nominated in Pittsburgh's Magazine's Top 25 restaurants in Pittsburgh and is thrilled to now bring his skills and passion to Cucina Alfabeto and looks forward to serving you, your families and friends.
“Mother nature is the true culinary genius. Our job is to pay homage to the beautiful produce we have here in the United States and let it shine. We look forward to welcoming you to Cucina Alfabeto to enjoy our highly seasonal menu and warm hospitality.”
— Chef Maurizio Esposito
