The Refinery — Restaurant in Pittston

The Refinery, located in Pittston, Pennsylvania, is a fine dining restaurant featuring quality Italian dishes in an industrial-style setting. It is partially owned by the husband/wife team (and culinary wizards) Chad and Kristen Gelso, formerly of Wilkes-Barre’s Bank + Vine restaurant.

On a cold Saturday evening in January, we arrived early for our 7 p.m. reservation, so we decided to wander through a neighboring candle store within the complex. However, when the time came for us to dine, we were told the restaurant was so busy that the staff couldn’t serve us at that time. Nevertheless, we were treated to complimentary champagne to counter the inconvenience. After 30-45 minutes (and two glasses of champagne) we were ushered into the restaurant and seated.

For starters, we were served a complimentary assortment of mixed marinated olives, Italian gigante beans, and roasted red peppers in vinegar and basil (a $15 value) although we are not fans of olives we did enjoy the beans and peppers. The delicious beans were a flashback to our meals at Bank + Vine. Additionally, we ordered “Nonna’s Meatballs,” which consisted of a trio of meatballs in a tasty marinara, with a creamy whipped ricotta and torn basil.

The meatballs primed me for my next Italian dish, the Pinwheel Lasagna, featuring a combination of bolognese and besciamella sauces with torn basil. The lasagna was cooked to perfection and the sauce was incredibly rich and mouth-watering.

The night's highlight, however, was the Pumpkin Agnolotti with goat cheese. The sauce was so creamy and the agnolotti almost melted in your mouth. The sweetness of the pumpkin was a perfect accompaniment to the delicate sauce, and, with the al dente pasta serving as the dish’s backbone, made for a perfectly sound and balanced dining experience. I don’t see it on the menu anymore, but if it’s brought back, it’d be a crime not to try it.

For dessert, I had the Pine Nut Tart with Candied Sage and Maple Custard. When the pastry snaps and leaves almost no crumbs, you know it’s perfectly baked. The filling was delectable and almost made me raise the white flag, but not before I had a taste of the Apple Millefoglie, which was a crisp layered pastry featuring cinnamon roasted apple and apple cider caramel, topped with what appeared to be strudel and powdered sugar.

When one of the owners tells you that he even got turned away because of the high volume of patrons, you know the establishment is firing on all cylinders. The Refinery is shaping up to be the mecca of the Pittston dining scene. Every plate served was fabulous, and I’m looking forward to my next experience there. The Gelsos were a hit with the Bank + Vine crowd, and will no doubt add many followers with their...

Sorry I don't have pictures. I must say I don't like food I love it, if I don't love it I won't eat it. I have to say it's been a while since we've had such a well prepared meal with everything being perfect from start to finish. We ordered 3 appetizers. Grilled octopus was cooked perfectly the accompaniments paired excellent. Focaccia was light and airy and served plain with all accompaniments on the side which gave you the chance to make it how you want. Roasted beats were also excellent. Next we ordered the osso bucco ravioli as another appetizer. They were made in house and let me say this you don't have to be a cocky chef from Italy to make outstanding pasta. The pasta was cooked to perfection. The filling wasn't mush like you get from a ravioli made in a machine. And the combination of sauces topping them was excellent. I paired up wines with each course and I wasn't disappointed with any of the wines by the glass which is not usually the case in many local restaurants. Next was the main course. I ordered the braised short rib over a firm bed of mashed potatoes, another excellent choice and the red wine sauce/demi glace was delicious. My wife ordered lasagna it was served totally different like a roll and cut sideways. This was served with a Bolognese and a little pesto (no nuts) this again was perfectly served. What was an interesting twist was it seemed to be lightly topped with a toasted panko which gave it another dimension of texture. I guess I can continue but I think you get the point. And excellent meal prepared by a great chef and a talented team behind him. One last point. Our service was also excellent. Everyone was great especially our server Kiki she paid attention to every detail and also understood the menu items which seems to be more and more rare in this industry. I also met the chef and appreciate his and his wife's passion for making the entire experience enjoyable. Congratulations. Highly...

Love this gem, located it Pittston!!! It took months to get a reservation and it was so worth the wait.. Super cool building with an interesting history. Restaurant is fabulous, in every way! Just not an eatery, but a destination for substantial craft drinks offering a superb menu. The thrilling dinner kicked off with drink that tasted as stellar as they were presented. A salute to the wizardry of the bartender’s and troupe behind the bar. We had a smoked bourbon old fashion, a pomegrandeur, espresso, martini, and a New York sour. Soon came the parade of delicacies. We had fresh focaccia bread with whipped ricotta and honey, a small plate of Italian olives, roaster, red peppers, with fresh mozzarella & Gigante beans. After that we had the Italian chop chop salads and our entrées were braised short ribs over buttery mashed potatoes. And those potatoes a wholesome cuddle on a plate. The second entrée was pinwheel lasagna. The grande finale, the  sinfully delightful Apple Millie Foglie stole the show. However, what elevate the whole experience, wasn’t just the appetizers & the cappuccino they comped, but the stunningly hospital service we received from Liz and Grace and the entire staff. They masterfully played their roles of friendly, comforting hostesses. Let me tell you this adventure lead us to gastronomical heaven. We are beyond ecstatic to stumble upon the establishment.

Long story short this restaurant has our enthusiastic stamp of approval for an exemplary culinary journey. Food 5/5 Service 5/5 atmosphere 5/5 it’s...