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<p>INKERMAN &#8212; For nearly 20 years, Original Italian Pizza &amp; Pasta has been serving the communities of Pittston, Jenkins Township and Plains.</p><p>The sit-down or carry-out restaurant is located at 609 Heather Highlands, just off Main Street, in a small, unassuming strip of businesses, and its menu features an array of traditional and specialty pizzas, Italian entrees, burgers, wings, wraps and hot and cold hoagies.</p><p>Owner Jack Purpura, of Plains, said the pizza sells pretty well at Original Italian but many customers flock to the eatery for hoagies and the &#8220;famous&#8221; cheesesteaks.</p><p>&#8220;Customers love the buns and the bread, because it&#8217;s all homemade,&#8221; Purpura said.</p><p>The smell of the freshly baked vessels, ready to be filled with meats and vegetables, permeates the air upon entering Original Italian. The scent is reminiscent of neighborhood bakeries of years gone by.</p><p>Purpura said customers also get a sense of family when they walk through the doors.</p><p>&#8220;It&#8217;s essentially a family owned and operated business,&#8221; Purpura said. &#8220;My employees are pretty much family. Some of them have been with me for 15 years.&#8221;</p><p>Justin Spess, of Inkerman, can be found behind the counter most days, preparing anything and everything on the menu.</p><p>&#8220;I&#8217;ve known Justin since he was 10 years old,&#8221; Purpura said.</p><p>Spess, who gets a feel for what customers order on a daily basis, said Original&#8217;s strombolis and wings are popular menu items for patrons, but his favorite thing to eat is the cheesesteak hoagie.</p><p>Laura Swingle of Pittston, who has been employed by Original Italian for four years, said, &#8220;I love the pizza, but everything is good.&#8221;</p><p>For lighter fare, the restaurant offers seven types of salads and has an appetizer menu that features baked and fried delights like mozzarella sticks and garlic knots.</p><p>Customers with a sweet tooth can purchase a cannoli for $2.50.</p><p>Original Italian offers catering services for 15- to 20-person events with entree items including baked ziti and lasagna as well as antipastos and sausage and peppers.</p><p>Recently, Markie Malec of Pittston entered the shop to pick up two pizzas but, she said her favorite menu items are the cheesesteak and Italian hoagies.</p><p>&#8220;It&#8217;s the bread that makes it,&#8221; the regular customer said.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Original Italian Pizza &amp; Pasta has served Pittston, Jenkins Township and Plains for nearly 20 years. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/web1_OriginalItalian1.jpg</photo0><caption0>Original Italian Pizza &amp; Pasta has served Pittston, Jenkins Township and Plains for nearly 20 years. </caption0><photoCredit0>Matt Mattei | Times Leader </photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/web1_OriginalItalian2.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Justin Spess of Inkerman has worked at Original Italian Pizza &amp; Pasta for 16 years, and he said the family environment keeps him there. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/web1_OriginalItalian2.jpg</photo1><caption1>Justin Spess of Inkerman has worked at Original Italian Pizza &amp; Pasta for 16 years, and he said the family environment keeps him there. </caption1><photoCredit1>Matt Mattei | Times Leader </photoCredit1></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Matt Mattei</p><p>mmattei@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><factboxMeta><p>IF YOU GO:</p><p>What: Original Italian Pizza &amp; Pasta</p><p>Where: 609 Heather Highland, Inkerman</p><p>Hours of Operation: Monday-Thursday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.</p></factboxMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Matt Mattei at 570-991-6651 or Twitter @TLArts</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Original Italian in Inkerman lures patrons with pizza, fresh-bread hoagies