100 free spaghetti dinners to be handed out in Grapeville

Debbie Huey is following in her parents’ footsteps by making her mark in the local community.

Owner of Angelo’s Cucina & Catering in Hempfield’s Grapeville neighborhood, Huey is offering 100 free spaghetti dinners next week thanks to donations from Candy’s Corner Deli in Jeannette and Ken Tomajko, owner of Tomajko Arborist Services.

“It’s a big thing, especially here in Grapeville, because there’s not much,” Huey said.

In March, Huey and Tomajko worked to donate meals to essential workers at AHN Hempfield Neighborhood Hospital. After, Tomajko came back to the restaurant, wanting to make another donation for 100 free dinners with the help of Candy’s Corner Deli.

“He said, ‘How much will it cost to give out free spaghetti?’ We worked it out and he gave me a donation for 100 free spaghetti dinners with a meatball and a salad,” Huey said of Tomajko. “So we’ll be handing them out at our parking lot next Thursday.”

Jeneen Tomajko, co-owner of Tomajko Arborist Services, said the company is “ trying to help during this time. We just felt that it was necessary.“

For Huey, the donations are a way to recognize her late parents, Angelo and Dorthy DiTommaso, who owned Angelo’s Ristorante in Irwin for 50 years.

“Through our 50 years of business, the customers that used to come in there that found out about me are so excited,” Huey said. “I hear stories every day about how we got engaged at your parents’ restaurant, we went there every Friday night. Every story imaginable, we literally saw generations go through there.”

Huey, who opened her Grapeville restaurant in August, added, “I wanted to do this for a long time. … Everybody that comes in here loves it, they love the fact that I am affiliated with Angelo’s on Route 30,” she said.

The dinners will be handed out June 4 from 3 to 6 p.m. in the restaurant’s parking lot, 2601 Brown Ave. Anybody is welcome to a meal, Huey said. Mel’s Cookie Creations, also in Grapeville, will hand out cookies to go with the meals.