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Toast, Pittsburgh, PA

May 12, 2012 By Chef Chuck Leave a Comment

Toast, Pittsburgh

I stopped into Toast for a few late-night appetizers on Wednesday. The space is quaint; small, warm and inviting. The walls were delicious-red, and the lighting was dim. Small tables were positioned on the right hand side of the restaurant. There was a bar on the left, mostly filled, with patrons enjoying cocktails and large plates of food.

We were immediately seated at 10:30pm- the restaurant was half-full with customers. Our waitress appeared and plopped down paper menus. She didn’t really take time to go over the food, or any other specials, but did let us know that there are three different size options for wines- a great idea if you only want to wet your palate, or try more than one variety.

Toast Wine

As we considered our menu options, a small basket of cold bread and whipped butter found its way to our table. I’m not sure what type of bread it was- perhaps an herbed focaccia? It was good, but would have been much better served warm. The butter was overwhelmingly salty, probably not the best accompaniment for an already salty Italian bread.

We chose two tasters- Seared Sea Scallops with Mango Mint Salsa and Tomatillo ($10.00) and Shrimp and Grits served with Brown Sugar, Byrd’s Mill Grits, Habanero and Cheddar ($9.00).

The sea scallops were deliciously sweet, and perfectly cooked. The mango mint salsa was a great addition, and brought out the flavor of the mollusk. Although it wasn’t the prettiest thing to look at, the dish was flavorful and well-executed.

Grits and shrimp were next. I dove into the grits first- they were creamy, spicy, and filled with tasty cheese. This portion of the dish was luscious and creamy- some of the best grits I have ever had. The shrimp were over-cooked and stringy.

Toast Scallops

Toast Shrimp and Grits

We finished the evening with a crème brulee. The warm custard was rich with flavorful, unfortunately, the top was burnt.

Creme Brulee

Our server was distracted/disinterested. One more than one occasion, we had to ask for utensils or napkins. She rarely (if ever) made her way to our table to check on us- maybe she was having a bad night.

I really want to like Toast- I’ve heard so many good things. Perhaps we will go for dinner and try out some entrees.

Chef Chuck Kerber

Pittsburghhotplate.com

chefchuck@pittsburghhotplate.com

Filed Under: Restaurant Reviews Tagged With: pittsburgh dining, Pittsburgh restaurant reviews, pittsburgh restaurants, toast, Toast Pittsburgh

Ribollita

May 3, 2012 By Chef Chuck 1 Comment

Ribollita

Ribollita is a hearty Tuscan soup made with bread and vegetables. The name, Ribollita means re-boiled.
This recipe requires quite a few veggies, and preferably crusty, left-over bread. Let the soup sit for a
day; you’ll be pleasantly surprised how well all the flavors blend together.

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

3 cups chopped celery

3 cups chopped carrots

3 leeks, cleaned and chopped

4 garlic cloves, chopped

3 bunches Kale, cleaned and de-ribbed, and chopped

2 bay leaves

½ head of chopped savoy cabbage

2 bunches swish chard

4 cups chopped tomatoes

4 cans of canellinni beans

6 cups chicken stock

2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme

3 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley

1 loaf of crusty Italian bread.

Directions:

Place the olive in a large stainless steel soup pot on the stove over medium heat. Put the celery, carrots, leeks, and garlic in the pot, and slowly sauté the vegetables for 10 minutes. After the vegetables have had time to caramelize, add the 4 cups of chopped tomatoes, and cook for 10 minutes. Add the kale, bay leaves, savoy cabbage, and swiss chard. Cook for an additional 15 minutes.

In a blender, combine 2 can of the strained canelllinni beans with two cups chicken stock. Blend well. You may need to do this in two batches if all of the contents don’t fit in your blender. Add this mixture to the soup pot.

Add the additional 2 cans of strained beans, along with the remaining 4 cups of chicken stock to the pot. Let this mixture cook for 30 minutes on low heat.

Add the chopped parsley and thyme.

Place a thick slice of crusty Italian bread in a large soup bowl.

Carefully ladle the finished soup over the bread.

Grate fresh pecorino or parmesan on top.

Delicious Ribollita

Enjoy!

Chef Chuck Kerber

Pittsburghhotplate.com

chefchuck@pittsburghhotplate.com

Filed Under: Recipe of the Day Tagged With: cooking, delicious, Food, Italian, italian recipes, Italian soup recipes, recipes, Ribollita, Tuscan, Tuscan recipes, vegan, vegan recipes, vegetarian, vegetarian recipes

Cure, Lawrenceville, PA

April 30, 2012 By Chef Chuck 1 Comment

Cure Restaurant

Written by, Rachel Handel

Cure
5336 Butler Street
Lawrenceville

Cure Restaurant is described on its website as a “neighborhood restaurant with a small menu focused on local urban Mediterranean food.” I think it would be safe to expand that to include “while honoring every bit of the humble pig.” This is surprisingly good news for people who like to eat pork products. But perhaps not so great for the aforementioned humble pig.

I was surprised that a vegetarian friend recommended Cure. Pretty much everything on the menu screams “carnivores welcome”—there’s even a disembodied pig’s head on the restaurant’s wall. My veggie dining buddy likely believed that dishes such as gnocchi or linguine could be made meat-free. Unfortunately, substitutions are not permitted and she ended up with a salad that was attractive, but not particularly filling.

The meat eaters in the group had a much better experience. The salumi platter was an attractive display of lamb pepperoni, lardo, blackstrap ham, pork ciccioli, lomo, duck rillettes, chicken rillettes, finocchiona, mustards, pickles, and crostini.

When dinner arrived, the consensus was that the meals were nicely presented and flavorful, but very small for the somewhat large price. My Heritage Farms Chicken (now you’re wondering why I’d go to Cure and eat chicken, right? I actually seldom eat pork and never eat red meat) was cooked perfectly and served with a wonderfully complementary mustard sauce.

Others at the table had Gnocchi, Porchetta, and the appropriately named “That’s Why I’m Here,” which featured pretty much every part of a pig that you can imagine. I watched in interested horror as pigs’ ears and feet were consumed just inches away from a vegetarian salad. The porchetta was flavorful but a bit rare in spots.

The winner of the meal (for me, at least) was the chocolate soufflé cake. Served with a pistachio butter, the cake was a creamy, velvety, chocolate heaven—with a pinch of sea salt. Again, the consensus was that the portion size was rather small, but by that time we’d all partaken in the joy that is B.Y.O.B.—so any minor complaints were soon forgotten.

Cure is a small restaurant, and reservations are strongly recommended. Call to confirm because our reservation was somehow lost—but the staff worked quickly to accommodate our group. And because of the size and the number of people fit into the space, it can become rather loud and difficult to have a conversation.

When our meal was completed, we were politely advised that the next reservation for six had arrived—the implication being that we needed to wrap it up, ASAP. While this seemed somewhat reasonable given the extreme busy-ness of the restaurant, what wasn’t unreasonable is that the waitstaff had just opened a bottle of wine for our table, minutes before the request to skedaddle was made. We were left with the choice of chugging our (very nice) wine or leaving it behind. While Cure is B.Y.O.B, this seemed like reckless disregard for our Pinot Noir.

For meat lovers, Cure is a welcome addition to Pittsburgh’s dining scene. For chocolate lovers, its signature dessert may just become an obsession.

photo: Pittsburgh Pot Gazette

Filed Under: Restaurant Reviews Tagged With: Cure, Cure Restaurant, cured meats, dining pittsburgh, pittsburgh dining, Pittsburgh restaurant reviews, restaurant, restaurants

Tomato Pie Cafe, North Park, PA

April 29, 2012 By Chef Chuck Leave a Comment

Tomato Pie Cafe

Written by Rachel Handel

Tomato Pie Café
885 East Ingomar Road
North Park

It’s a sure sign that warmer weather is on the way when Tomato Pie Café opens up for the season. Located on the edge of North Park, the restaurant’s outdoor seating is a lovely place to dine—surrounded by pots of fragrant herbs and flowers.

Tomato Pie Café has a long history in the North Hills. It’s not pretentious but the waitstaff’s attentiveness varies wildly—luckily on my first visit back this year, we had both a wonderful waitress and a fantastic meal.

Going to Tomato Pie on a Saturday evening can be a risky proposition—there aren’t many tables and it can be very busy. Somehow we lucked into an open table right away. The restaurant is B.Y.O.B. and nearly every table had abided by the acronym’s directive.

The menu hasn’t changed much since last year—it’s small, featuring a few appetizers, salads, and entrees—as well as pizza—but its simplicity is a welcome change from the four-page menus found in many restaurants.

Upon learning that the café was featuring fresh asparagus as an appetizer, I asked if the chef/owner could whip up an entrée featuring asparagus (which happens to be my favorite vegetable). He was not only up to the challenge, but the dish he created was a work of culinary art—lovely to look at and delicious to eat. Grilled, crunchy asparagus was paired with artichokes, wild mushrooms, greens, sweet peppers, and chicken in a light balsamic sauce that perfectly complemented every ingredient. My dinner was the envy of everyone in the restaurant—more so after the chef came out and asked how I was enjoying the meal.

My dining buddy ordered chicken parmesan, an old reliable which he enjoyed. It comes paired with penne pasta and sauce—a summery tomato sauce with just the right addition of fresh herbs and seasonings. The DiPositano pizza is also a consistently delicious option—a simple pizza of tomatoes, basil, and oregano topped with mozzarella and feta cheeses.

Tomato Pie Café’s combination of fresh ingredients, B.Y.O.B goodness, and casual atmosphere makes for a pleasant and laid back dining experience. When the kitchen and waitstaff are in sync and the restaurant is really clicking, it’s hard to beat.

Filed Under: Restaurant Reviews Tagged With: Dining, Food, Pittsburgh, pittsburgh dining, Pittsburgh restaurant, Pittsburgh restaurant reviews, Tomato Pie Cafe

Hyde Park Prime Steakhouse, Pittsburgh, PA

April 25, 2012 By Chef Chuck Leave a Comment

Hyde Park Prime Steakhouse

A few times a year I like to go out for a steak. Since I don’t eat red meat that often, when I do indulge, it needs to be awesome. Until recently, I preferred Ruth’s Chris steaks; they’re Prime quality, and served in a crock with sizzling butter.

Wine Glass

Last night I had the opportunity to try out another Pittsburgh steakhouse, Hyde Park. Hyde Park is a classy place- dress is business casual; even the wait-staff were dressed impeccably, bow-ties and all. As I waited for my date, I noticed plenty of professionals, there were even a few Pittsburgh Penguins in the back dining room.

We sat at an oversized booth (great for privacy) and looked over the drink menu. Our server made several wine suggestions, all paired well for a steak dinner. While we decided what to order, a warm basket of bread was dropped off at our table. Along with the bread, we were also served two triangles of chilled butter. The bread was fresh and yeasty- of particular interest were the large salt sticks; they were slightly sweet and extra gooey… I could have eaten a dozen.

Breadsticks

We started off with two salads; the Hyde Park Wedge, and the Goat Cheese salad. Our salads arrived at the table on two chilled dinner-sized plates. The Goat Cheese Salad had a thick raspberry-balsamic dressing, huge chunks of fresh goat cheese, and large, whole candied pecans. It was also served with two crostini. The salad was delicious; the greens were impeccably fresh, and the flavors were balanced. The Hyde Park Wedge had ¼ piece of iceberg lettuce, and what had to be ½ cup of fresh, homemade blue cheese dressing, bacon bits, and candied pecans. Not only were the salads delicious, they were HUGE. I could have easily eaten one of these salads for dinner.

Goat Cheese Salad

Iceberg Lettuce Wedge

Our entrees included The Colossal Shrimp and Scallop Sauté, and Steak Clemente. Being a bit on the “almost full” side, I was glad to see that all items were a la carte. The shrimp and scallop dish arrived first. My date said, “Take a look at size of these scallops!” They were, in fact HUGE; the size of a silver dollar. The shrimp were equally massive, and succulent. The scallops and shrimp were served over grilled asparagus; a citrusy-butter sauce finished the dish.

Shrimp and Scallops

My steak arrived looking good. It was a perfect portion- not too big. A large strap of thick-cut bacon surrounded the meat. The beef was topped with several ounces of fresh, melted blue cheese. The steak was finished with a bordelaise sauce (a French sauce made with marrow, wine, shallots and demi- glace). The steak was buttery-soft; the cheese, bacon and rich sauce were velvety and luscious.

Hyde Park Steak

Although we didn’t have room for dessert, we did see a few items that looked good- crème brulee, flourless chocolate cake, and cheesecake were a few of the choices.

In addition to the rich desserts, several after-dinner drinks were available. If you have a fondness for single-malt scotch, port, or VSOP cognac, you will be happily accommodated.

Hyde Park is a top-shelf restaurant with flawless service and well-prepared food. If you’re in the mood to be taken care of, and are craving a delicious grilled steak, Hyde Park is a must-visit!

Hyde Park Steakhouse

Chef Chuck Kerber

Pittsburghhotplate.com

chefchuck@pittsburghhotplate.com

Filed Under: Restaurant Reviews Tagged With: Dining, dining review, dining reviews, dining reviews Pittsburgh, foood, Hyde Park, Hyde Park Restaurant, Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh restaurant, Pittsburgh restaurant reviews, steak, steak Pittsburgh