Ashley’s Kitchen bringing stuffed breads to New Kensington

Ashley Bodycombe’s hashtag is “Gather, Try to eat, Chortle.”

That’s what she’s hoping individuals from New Kensington and over and above will do at her new eatery, Ashley’s Kitchen area, opening in late April in downtown New Kensington.

The new enterprise was born at home, in her kitchen area.

“I like cooking. It is my passion,” explained Bodycombe, 34, of New Kensington. “I like to make people happy by means of their bellies.”

Even though her menu will have handmade soups, salads and desserts, the stars will be her stuffed breads, which she likened to a rolled Stromboli. Packed complete of items like buffalo hen, meatballs, spinach, Italian beef, and much more, she guarantees no empty ends.

“I’m identified to feed anyone in New Kensington a stuffed bread,” she mentioned.

At Ninth Street and Fourth Avenue, Ashley’s Kitchen will be at a gateway to New Kensington, heading into downtown from the New Kensington bridge. The creating experienced beforehand housed Walt’s Deli, which closed right after a enormous hearth wrecked 3 structures future to it in September 2018.

“It’s astounding that this area survived,” Ashley Bodycombe reported.

It was a single of quite a few structures acquired by Mike Malcanas, president of Olde Towne Overhaul. Although most of the structures Malcanas purchased in his mission to improve downtown New Kensington are on Fifth Avenue, he stated he acquired this just one because of its well known locale coming into the metropolis.

Malcanas reported the constructing had not been damaged by the hearth, just soaked from the fire fighting effort and hard work.

“The only purpose it survived was simply because they doused it with water. Which is why it was so wet,” he claimed.

Malcanas reported some mold remediation was necessary, alongside with restoring drywall and fixing some brick.

“Inside it was essentially a great deal far better than most of the structures,” he explained.

Whilst the exterior received adorned with rusty metallic barn roofing and some pink accent paint that matches their signage, the inside of acquired all new flooring, Malcanas mentioned. The counters at the home windows are developed from reclaimed barn timbers.

Malcanas mentioned he programs to at some point have flats in the building’s higher floors.

A mural covering the Fourth Avenue aspect of the 3-story making, from sidewalk to roof, is predicted to be mounted in April. Citizens assisted paint panels for the mural.

Options are for the mural to be focused April 11, through a group cleanup sponsored by Sonward Youth Systems, Olde Towne Overhaul and Westmoreland Community Action, mentioned Tim Holler, an associate professor of felony justice at the College of Pittsburgh at Greensburg and director of the Neighborhood Arts & Reintegration Venture.

The mural will be mounted the 7 days top up to the cleanup, offering weather cooperates, Holler stated. If the cleanup makes use of its rain date of April 18, the mural commitment would be adjusted for that day as very well, he said.

Bodycombe and her partner, Joe, also 34, have been with each other due to the fact they went to high school with each other at Burrell, the place she graduated in 2004 and he did in 2005. They have a few youngsters, Nolan, 11, Brycen, 8, and Lillian, 7.

Joe Bodycombe, who refinishes wood at West Inside Services, handles the books, but Ashley’s Kitchen is, very well, all Ashley’s.

“It’s all her,” Joe Bodycombe mentioned. “All her hard get the job done and commitment and determination.”

Ashley Bodycombe stated her aspiration is for the enterprise to be so profitable they can go it down to their kids.

“They see us performing tricky, then they’ll want to perform challenging,” she said.

The Bodycombes achieved Malcanas like lots of of his tenants do, at Voodoo Brewery, which he also owns. As a result of him, they are building the leap of having a residence-centered enterprise into a storefront.

“It’s great what they’re executing. I hope it changes every thing,” Ashley Bodycombe said. “All these modest firms, there’s so substantially astounding occurring.”

When she’s labored at and managed restaurants, this will be her initially business.

“I never know what to anticipate,” she explained. “I’m very excited but I’m also quite nervous.”

Ashley Bodycombe said they appeared at six destinations, and settled on the aged Walt’s Deli area. It wasn’t Joe’s major decide, but she could see it there.

“I currently have a pursuing,” she mentioned. And exactly where they are, in addition with the substantial mural, “It’s not difficult to come across us.”

Brian C. Rittmeyer is a Tribune-Evaluate employees author. You can get hold of Brian at 724-226-4701, [email protected] or through Twitter .

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