4715 Liberty Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15224
Introduction
Azorean Café is a local restaurant that serves authentic, delicious Portuguese and Azorean cuisine. It is named after the Azores Islands, which are located off of mainland Portugal. Azorean Café is situated on Liberty Avenue near Bloomfield in Pittsburgh, PA.
Owner
It was lovely speaking with the owner of Azorean Café : Elsa Santos. She was very friendly and warm as we asked her question after question. Growing up, Elsa was surrounded by the freshest fruits, vegetables, and fish. There were beautiful flowers outside her home in the Azores Islands, volcanic mountains to climb, natural pools to swim in, endless greenery, and dolphins that could be seen in the waters nearby. She shared with us that the reason she left her home of São Miguel was to pursue greater business opportunities in the U.S. and experience other cultures outside the island. The journey to establishing her own restaurant as an immigrant woman had many challenges, such as working on her business plan in addition to her job as a bartender and getting rejections from banks before they even heard her business plan. In the end, she proved all the people who doubted her wrong. While she now has a very successful restaurant of her own, Elsa Santos is passing on her knowledge in the kitchen and in her business as a mentor of a future vegan restaurant owner in Pittsburgh.
Restaurant
Four years ago, Elsa Santos established Azorean Café with the goal of serving breakfast foods, including eggs, Portuguese meats, and French toast. She felt inspired to open a restaurant after growing up around entrepreneurs - specifically family members who owned and ran a banana farm - and managing several coffee shops. However, she said that her dream to open a restaurant was not feasible when she moved to Washington DC, but became more manageable once she moved to Pittsburgh.
Today, Elsa follows her mother’s recipes, which originated in the Azores Islands. As a result, all her dishes are authentic and allow customers to immerse themselves in Azorean and Portuguese culture. “I want to maintain the sustainable nature of food back home, like grass-fed meats, organic foods, and fish straight from the fishermen,” Elsa explained in reference to her natural ingredients and authentic menu. In addition, she detailed her experience with COVID-19. Azorean Café closed for 6 months and then reopened with a takeout option. She had to think creatively to overcome issues during the pandemic and continue to support her staff. Before the pandemic, she served dinner every Friday with a live band and hopes to bring back this event one day. Her favorite part of being a restaurant owner was to visualize the impact of her business during COVID-19 and to connect with the community in unique ways.
The Food
Korrina: First, our group ordered a cheese platter containing Azorean cheeses, meats, and jam. I thoroughly enjoyed this platter and loved the sweet & savory flavor combinations that arose when layering crackers, cheese, meat, and jam together. I also ordered an Azorean Iced Latte and French Toast. The iced latte was delicious! I particularly enjoyed the French toast because it was made with Portuguese muffins, which differed from other styles of French toast that I had previously tried. The French toast paired perfectly with the sweetness of island jam, which was included on the side. Aside from the food, the restaurant was decorated beautifully, and I got to catch up with Ines, Elsa’s daughter, whom I had a Pitt class with 4 years ago! I loved my experience at the Azorean Café and will definitely return in the future!
Azorean Café is a local restaurant that serves authentic, delicious Portuguese and Azorean cuisine. It is named after the Azores Islands, which are located off of mainland Portugal. Azorean Café is situated on Liberty Avenue near Bloomfield in Pittsburgh, PA.
Owner
It was lovely speaking with the owner of Azorean Café : Elsa Santos. She was very friendly and warm as we asked her question after question. Growing up, Elsa was surrounded by the freshest fruits, vegetables, and fish. There were beautiful flowers outside her home in the Azores Islands, volcanic mountains to climb, natural pools to swim in, endless greenery, and dolphins that could be seen in the waters nearby. She shared with us that the reason she left her home of São Miguel was to pursue greater business opportunities in the U.S. and experience other cultures outside the island. The journey to establishing her own restaurant as an immigrant woman had many challenges, such as working on her business plan in addition to her job as a bartender and getting rejections from banks before they even heard her business plan. In the end, she proved all the people who doubted her wrong. While she now has a very successful restaurant of her own, Elsa Santos is passing on her knowledge in the kitchen and in her business as a mentor of a future vegan restaurant owner in Pittsburgh.
Restaurant
Four years ago, Elsa Santos established Azorean Café with the goal of serving breakfast foods, including eggs, Portuguese meats, and French toast. She felt inspired to open a restaurant after growing up around entrepreneurs - specifically family members who owned and ran a banana farm - and managing several coffee shops. However, she said that her dream to open a restaurant was not feasible when she moved to Washington DC, but became more manageable once she moved to Pittsburgh.
Today, Elsa follows her mother’s recipes, which originated in the Azores Islands. As a result, all her dishes are authentic and allow customers to immerse themselves in Azorean and Portuguese culture. “I want to maintain the sustainable nature of food back home, like grass-fed meats, organic foods, and fish straight from the fishermen,” Elsa explained in reference to her natural ingredients and authentic menu. In addition, she detailed her experience with COVID-19. Azorean Café closed for 6 months and then reopened with a takeout option. She had to think creatively to overcome issues during the pandemic and continue to support her staff. Before the pandemic, she served dinner every Friday with a live band and hopes to bring back this event one day. Her favorite part of being a restaurant owner was to visualize the impact of her business during COVID-19 and to connect with the community in unique ways.
The Food
Korrina: First, our group ordered a cheese platter containing Azorean cheeses, meats, and jam. I thoroughly enjoyed this platter and loved the sweet & savory flavor combinations that arose when layering crackers, cheese, meat, and jam together. I also ordered an Azorean Iced Latte and French Toast. The iced latte was delicious! I particularly enjoyed the French toast because it was made with Portuguese muffins, which differed from other styles of French toast that I had previously tried. The French toast paired perfectly with the sweetness of island jam, which was included on the side. Aside from the food, the restaurant was decorated beautifully, and I got to catch up with Ines, Elsa’s daughter, whom I had a Pitt class with 4 years ago! I loved my experience at the Azorean Café and will definitely return in the future!