Sweet & Spicy
Owner Sherri Vizzuett, left, relaxes during a break with Kayleen Cannon and Stephanie Beattie, right, manager.
Interior of the Twist Restaurant in New Eagle with art throughout the dining area.
Muscle cars, like this Dodge Charger, flanked classic cars at a Fathers Day car cruise at The Twist.
Dave Cooper, of Venetia, brought out his bronze 1973 Mercury Comet to one of the first cruises of the season on Father’s Day. He was joined by nearly a dozen other classic cars as well as modern muscle cars.
The Cinco de Mayo Salsa spread at the Main Street Farmers Market in Washington.
The movie may be modern, but the vibe is retro. The projector may not have rattling moving parts, but the classic cars rolling in the lot sure do. At The Twist in New Eagle, Sherri Vizzuett has always been trying to find ways to cater to Mon Valley customers’ tastes for home-cooked food and nostalgic experiences. The ice cream is definitely the sweetest and oldest tradition still served up, but pretty much everything is a spin – or twist – on old classics. The additions of drive-in movie nights and car cruises create a wistful summer atmosphere seldom seen in the Mon Valley, but the mainstay of the corner diner is its food.
With breakfast offerings like lemon ricotta pancakes, or lunch fare such as Thai chicken rolls, the enticing menu changes daily based on available produce and seasonal tastes. Vizzuett, who took over from her parents in 1992, says the aim was to provide fresh, novel food made with local ingredients. But the name stuck thanks to the ice cream.
“It was actually a Tastee Freez,” Vizzuett says. “My parents sold Christmas trees in the parking lot, and they eventually made an offer on the building.”
The original business started in 1957 by a husband and wife who were school teachers. That tradition of family ownership hasn’t gone away. Vizzuett’s daughters, 18-year-old Bella and her 13-year-old Olivia, have been recruited into the ranks to help churn out Twist treats and hunt down fresh ingredients. Bella started at 13 and got to delve into the front lines of food.
“Bella – she’s our farmer’s market girl. She gets produce, and she’s done payroll as well,” Vizzuett says. Olivia’s arm had to be twisted a bit to start in the kitchen, but she’s coming around to it. The kitchen, of course, is where the magic happens. And an entirely separate venture of The Twist: Cinco de Mayo Salsa.
The salsa side of the business started in 1995 with Vizzuett’s then husband, an immigrant from Mexico, who more than inspired the extensive line that the two have partnered on since. The most popular version, Roasted Red, is a classic fusion of red and black peppers and other secret ingredients. That’s according to Vizzuett’s mom, Ruth Kumpf, who – oh, yeah, she’s been folded back into the family mix, too, after retiring last year. Her short-lived venture back to semi-retirement has her set up every week at the Washington County Main St. Farmers Market to sell salsa to those not familiar with the Mon Valley exclusives.
“The Roasted Red is a good, all-around salsa. Even children like it. It’s just right; the Goldie Locks porridge of salsa. Sherri’s made it for 20 years,” Kumpf says. There’s mango chutney for fans of sweeter spice, and muffuletta relish for a novel sandwich or salad spread. All come with recipe checklists to incorporate the savory dips into new or existing dishes.
Kumpf revealed the strategy of her downsizing her business of sorts and “outsourcing” some the sales and prep work to family. “She’s a nurse, too, so she’s got the wick burning at both ends,” Kumpf says. The push and pull of Vizzuett’s nursing responsibilities has her focused on breakfast and lunch, and only special food events that stretch into dinner hours. Some of those festive occasions are taco nights on Fridays, and the aforementioned movie nights and car cruises.
Every cruise, Vizzuett says, will have some of the proceeds donated to a community organization. In April, it was the Washington City Mission.
“All of these events we host – it’s to bring people together. To show them how food and fun are not exclusive to each other.”
The Twist is located at 207 Main St. in New Eagle. For more information, call 724-747-6185 or visit their Facebook page.