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My Favorite Pittsburgh Restaurant

June 18, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Caesar Salad with White Anchovies

Caesar Salad with White Anchovies

If you’ve visited our blog, pittsburghhotplate.com, you may have noticed that we’ve been to over 130 restaurants in and around Pittsburgh. Some have been good, others not so much. We’ve enjoyed great service, have been yelled at by owners, (only once at Dell’s) and have experienced a myriad of different cuisines. In the past two years it’s been a fun journey exploring the Pittsburgh culinary scene.

After spending time in all of these different eating establishments, I’ve come across several restaurants that I like to frequent. One such eatery is Spoon in East Liberty. Of course Spoon has great service, a nice atmosphere and an extensive wine list, but most importantly, the food is exceptional. Chef Brian Pekarcik frequently proclaims to have a love-affair with “all things pork,” he also is quite capable at preparing duck (and other fowl), fresh seafood, and beef, seasonal veggies, desserts, etc. Chef Brian’s food can be described as unpretentious and uncomplicated. You won’t see molecular gastronomy at Spoon; you will however, experience perfectly prepared food that is delicious and satisfying.

Our evening started with Spring Pea Soup. Two bowls of bright green deliciousness arrived at our table. In addition to the velvety-smooth fresh puree of peas and lemon crème fraiche, there was feta cheese, lobster, and bacon lardons; micro greens completed the dish. The freshness of the soup was intoxicating. Huge chunks of sweet, tender lobster added texture, while the feta cheese and micro-greens cut sweetness. The soup wasn’t overly-seasoned; the peas were truly the star of the soup. Although licking the bowl would have been frowned upon, we seriously considered it.

Spring Pea Soup

Spring Pea Soup

Our next courses were a Caesar salad with blonde anchovies and homemade croutons, and one of the Chef’s signature dishes, a gorgonzola soufflé with baby artichokes and baby asparagus. A small salad with sweet vinaigrette accompanied the savory baked treat. The soufflé had a strong, but not overwhelming flavor. Alternating bites of the blue cheese and salad with honey dressing made for a delectable flavor exchange.

Gorgonzola Blue Cheese Souffle

Gorgonzola Blue Cheese Souffle

Korean style pork belly was next. A large slab of what looked like thick-cut bacon arrived with dashi, kimshi and a deep-fried oyster with a spicy aioli. The pork was flavorful and tender. The fried oyster was perfectly fresh with an orange dollop of emulsified heat.

Korean Style Pork Belly

Korean Style Pork Belly

The soba noodles with sous-vide duck breast were equally delicious. We had fun using our chopsticks to lap up the tangy noodles and seared sea scallop. Our oversized porcelain spoons were used to drink the broth and orange-chili vinaigrette. The over-easy quail egg that sat atop the noodles added yet another flavor to this already great dish.

Soba Noodles

Soba Noodles

Entrees:

Wild Pacific halibut with crab cake stuffed shrimp, potato rosti, sautéed asparagus, jalapeno hollandaise; pineapple + fava bean + Andouille sausage relish was next. My dinner mate chose the duck (medium-rare) prepared with duck fat fried almonds, and a port wine reduction. My fish was cooked properly (medium) and sweet. The potato rostis were crispy and fun to eat (like a tater-tots) and the large shrimp, crab, and buttery hollandaise made for a seafood fiesta.

Wild Pacific Halibut

Wild Pacific Halibut

The duck was tender and juicy- the almonds were rich and intense. Port wine sauce cut the richness of the fowl just a tad.

Seared Duck Breast

Seared Duck Breast


After eight courses of food, we were ready to call it a night, but Chef Brian insisted that we have some dessert, “Just a little something to complete the meal…” he said. OK, if you insist.

The plate of homemade raspberry sorbet with gluten-free almond cake looked amazing. Macerated summer berries, white chocolate mousse, and a thick ribbon of a homemade fruit roll-up completed the dessert.

Raspberry Sorbet with Homemade Fruit Roll-Up

Raspberry Sorbet with Homemade Fruit Roll-Up

We left Spoon satiated, but not too full. As we drove home we continued to go over the evening’s fare. Everything we sampled (without exception) was perfection. So I’m going to say it- Spoon is my favorite restaurant in Pittsburgh. If you haven’t made it yet, hopefully this review will point you in the right direction.

Chef Chuck Kerber

Pittsburghhotplate.com

chefchuck@pittsburghhotplate.com

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Cure, Lawrenceville, PA

April 30, 2012 By 3 Comments
Cure Restaurant

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

Cure on Urbanspoon

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Restaurant Secrets

October 9, 2011 By 2 Comments
lemont restaurant

lemont restaurant

If you’re attending a weekend brunch Saturday or Sunday morning, don’t expect your server to be too lively. It’s likely that he/she was out the night before partying it up. Foodservice employees work hard, and often party as hard as they work- especially on the weekends.

Servers will often add certain items to your food to inflate the bill, thus increasing their tip average. For example, if you order a dinner salad your waiter may suggest some tasty shrimp or avocado. The same is true for mixed drinks. Instead of using house alcohol for a gin and tonic, your server may ask if you want to try a Sapphire or Tanqueray Gin and tonic increasing your drink price by $3-$4.00.

The Sullivan Nod

Your server may use the Sullivan Nod to entice you into ordering a pricey menu item. What is the Sullivan nod? It a sales techniques developed by restaurant critic, Jim Sullivan. Here’s how it works. During a specials rundown, your server nod slightly as they suggest a pricier item playing on your subconscious to agree to the costlier food.

If a piece of chicken, beef or other food item gets dropped in the kitchen, it’s most likely not going to get thrown in the trash. Instead, it will probably get run under some water, thrown back on the grill. Remember- keeping food cost down is the only way to make money in a restaurant.

If a restaurant closes its doors at 10 pm, kitchen breakdown usually occurs at least 30 minutes before that. If you want a good meal, prepared carefully, try not to come in a few minutes before closing- it just pisses off the kitchen and wait staff.

Most restaurants don’t recycle food. However, if there is untouched bread or butter it may be used to make bread crumbs, or bread pudding. Untouched butter can often find its way back to the cooler to be served again.

Vegetable and protein trimmings usually don’t get thrown away. That soup special you ordered is most likely the result of kitchen prep, and the stock is probably made from chicken or beef bones that are left over.

If you want to speak to the chef, try to do so during a non-peak time. If you ask your server to send the chef to your table on a Friday night at 8pm, it’s likely that he/she will show up with a really sharp knife.

Don’t order lemon with your water. Here’s why. Most restaurants don’t wash their fruit. Lemons, for example will pass through the hands of the harvesters, the warehouse employees, the delivery person, the kitchen personnel, and then your server. That’s five people that have their grubby hands on your lemons before they’re cut (unwashed) and put in your water.

Servers hate separate checks. It creates more work for the kitchen, serving staff, and often management.

Suggestions

If you have a suggestion for the Chef, and expect your server to forward it to the kitchen, it’s most likely not going to happen. If it’s busy, your server won’t have the time (or desire) to forward the information. If you really want to suggest a menu item, write it down and mail it. Most chefs want to accommodate their customers, and it’s more likely you will receive a response via snail-mail.

Servers work incredibly hard. Besides serving, they’re responsible for other duties like cleaning, re-stocking, and putting up with bonehead customers. A 15% tip is not standard, it’s actually the very least that should be left. If you were happy with the service, leave at least 20% or more. Don’t be cheap!

Chef Chuck Kerber

chefchuck@pittsburghhotplate.com

Pittsburghhotplate.com

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Cindy DeFlavio of Cibo in Regent Square

September 23, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Cindy DeFlavio

Cindy DeFlavio

Unless you’ve been under a rock, it’s hard to miss all of the changes that have been taking place on Braddock Avenue. Most noticeably, there have been a myriad of new restaurants openings. One of those eateries, Cibo, has enjoyed a lot of early success. It’s changing menu, fresh seafood and homemade pastas have hungry patrons spreading the good word.

Cindy DeFlavio, owner/proprietor of Cibo, let me in on a few secrets that make the new Italian restaurant one of the premier places to dine in Regent Square.

Question #1

The east end was in dire need of a good ethnic restaurant- what were some of the factors you took into consideration when deciding to open an Italian eatery?

Location; Regent Square is an established neighborhood, we are prior business owners in the area, which never had an Italian restaurant and we being lovers of Italian fare wanted to fill the void of upscale Italian dining. The charm and warmth of the neighborhood lends itself to have an Italian eatery. Also, being a lover of outside dining, the neighborhood is great for people watching and there are always sights to see.

Question #2

It looks like Cibo has been doing quite well in its first months; what do you attribute your early success to?

Our early success can be attributed to persistence, attention to detail, putting forth excellent food and prompt and attentive service. It’s a day to day process having a good core team with front and back of house management. Also, having the freshest products on our ever-changing menu, and of course the huge support of this, and surrounding neighborhoods.

Question #3

What are some unexpected challenges you’ve had to face being a restaurant owner?

Dealing with a never ending flow of food providers trying to maintain the freshest products can be difficult, it’s very challenging to maintain the level of food quality our customers deserve.

Question #4

Can you please tell us about your general manager, Chris Halloran?

Chris Halloran has many years of experience in Italian fine dining, including management experience, and assisting servers in table side etiquette. He was raised around restaurants due to his mother’s experience, so a lot comes naturally to him. He’s also always willing to learn.

Question # 5

Rumor has it you’re an excellent cook. What are some of your favorite things to make?

We will be featuring my Italian wedding soup at Cibo. I also love making various pastas, and veal dishes. Working at Cibo has been very demanding, and restricts my kitchen time. I’m always willing to try new and exciting recipes.

Question # 6

Braddock Avenue is turning into an increasingly busy dining/business district. Are there other types of shops that you would like to see open in the East End?

I would love to see more retail shops; especially boutiques, perhaps a shoe store.

Chef Chuck Kerber

Pittsburghhotplate.com

chefchuck@pittsburghhotplate.com

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Werakul Laoworakiat of Curry Away in Edgewood

September 18, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Curry Away

Curry Away

There’s a small restaurant by the name of Curry Away on Edgewood Avenue in the small business/commercial district in Edgewood. Nestled between a car dealership, and a chiropractor, this authentic eatery serves some of the best Thai cuisine in the area. If you like all-things curry, you will be pleasantly surprised with the food being served at Curry Away.

I recently had the opportunity to ask Werakul, founder of Curry Away a few questions about his restaurant. Here’s what he had to say:

Question #1

How did you get started in the food business? How long have you been at your current location?

Let me introduce myself first. My name is Werakul Laoworakiat, president and co-founder of Curry Away LLC. We started the restaurant business little over a year ago. I believe the whole Curry Away saga could be told in different ways depending on who you ask. The reason I’m saying this because we had 4-5 people involved at the beginning, and then some parted. In my version, however, I believe it’s the nature of mankind to share good experience with others. It’s like when you saw a very good movie, heard a darn good song or found a really great headset on amazon.com. The experience of growing up in Thailand with variety of good food is what I would like to share. And that has brought us where we are today.

Question#2

What are some of your favorite dishes on the menu, and what are your biggest sellers?

It really depends on what I’m in the mood for. There are many dishes that I love. For those that I don’t like, you probably won’t see them on the menu in the first place. However, we always find ways to improve our food and don’t think we will ever stop doing that. I’m proud of our appetizer items. They have improved a lot from a year ago when we started the business. If you haven’t tried our satay, either tofu or chicken, I recommend you do so and let me know what you think. It’s difficult to tell which dish is the biggest seller because customers like diffident things on our menu. If I have to guess, I would pick Pad Thai because it’s a familiar to people and ours is pretty darn good.

Question #3

What are some of your personal food philosophies? Is there a specific cooking technique that you like to use most?

Invest in quality, it might take time for people to notice, but they will appreciate it eventually. Take our jasmine rice, for example.
For the cooking technique, anything that make food delicious, I’m all for it.

Question #3

Are you from the Edgewood Regent Square area? What attracted you to this particular spot?

I didn’t know the area until we have the restaurant business. I wasn’t the one who picked the location at the time, otherwise it would have been somewhere else, to be honest. However, once we’re here it’s my nature to want to be a positive part of the community, that’s why we are trying to change things around the restaurant. I must say, however, that people around here are so nice and very supportive which I didn’t expect when I first learned about our location.

Question #4

Do you own any other restaurants, and would you ever consider opening a second location?

Curry Away is only restaurant we own now, but from the start, we never plan that it’s going to be the only location.

Question #5

You’ve recently added an outdoor seating area for your customers. What else would you like the public to know about Curry Away?

Now we have also added some shade on the arbor, lunch time customer should have less difficulty with the sun when they sit outside. I would like to thank all the people who support us. One final thing I would like to say to them is this: If you like our food, share the experience.

Chef Chuck Kerber

Pittsburghhotplate.com

chefchuck@pittsburghhotplate.com

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