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Eat, Art, Love page 8 ^ A wheat berry salad from the Carnegie Museum of Art’s Café Carnegie
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MAGAZINE 2019 + Booze Lessons 16 + Garden-to-Table 18 + Hold the Jelly 24
Breaking Bread page 36
Dinner Music 26 + Fun Foods 34 + Fiery Five 40 + Off the Plate 42
4 PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER TASTE MAGAZINE 2019
Editor-In-Chief LISA CUNNINGHAM Associate Publisher JUSTIN MATASE Director of Operations KEVIN SHEPHERD Managing Editor ALEX GORDON Senior Writers RYAN DETO, AMANDA WALTZ Staff Writers HANNAH LYNN, JORDAN SNOWDEN Photographer/Videographer JARED WICKERHAM Digital Media Manager JOSH OSWALD Editorial Designer ABBIE ADAMS Graphic Designer JEFF SCHRECKENGOST Marketing and Promotions Coordinator CONNOR MARSHMAN Senior Sales Representative BLAKE LEWIS Sales Representatives KAITLIN OLIVER, NICK PAGANO Office Coordinator MAGGIE WEAVER Advertising Sales Assistant TAYLOR PASQUARELLI Circulation Manager JEFF ENGBARTH Office Administrator RODNEY REGAN National Advertising Representative VMG ADVERTISING 1.888.278.9866 OR 1.212.475.2529 Publisher EAGLE MEDIA CORP.
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TASTE MAGAZINE 2019 PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER 5
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PHOTO: JARED WICKERHAM 8 PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER TASTE MAGAZINE 2019
Eat, Art, Love The art is great, but what about the food?
BY AMANDA WALTZ AWALTZ@PGHCITYPAPER.COM
L
OOKING AT ART can really work up an appetite. As a result, museums have installed cafĂŠs and restaurants as a way to sate hungry patrons and entice them to stay longer. But how do these eateries compare to independent establishments? And how do they reflect the mission of their anchor cultural institutions? Whereas restaurateurs are free to experiment with their own concepts, setting up shop in an existing establishment can be a bit more challenging, especially when those places serve a public need or run according to a specific theme. >> TASTE MAGAZINE 2019 PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER 9
Diners inside The Café at the Frick
S
INCE 1994, The Frick Pittsburgh has operated a restaurant on the
same grounds as its museums and gardens. The organization originally envisioned a grab-and-go concept, where people could buy sandwiches and drinks, but ultimately decided to go with The Café at the Frick, a sit-down dining experience complete with seasonal, American-style cuisine. “It took on a life of its own and they decided to do something a little more upscale,” says Linda Buker, director of policy and internal resources at The Frick. She believes the café works to further immerse visitors in the Gilded-Age elegance of the site and the different buildings filled with “lovely treasures.” Among them are the Clayton, a restored home-turned-museum that once belonged to the Frick family, and the spectacular late-19th century greenhouse.
“WE WANT TO EXTEND THE EXPERIENCE THEY HAVE IN THE MUSEUM.” The period theme extends to the café’s offerings, where guests can indulge in Victorian-style high tea, complete with treats made by an in-house pastry chef. “We want to have something that is very unique,” says Buker. “There’s a lot of things we’re trying to accomplish, not just presenting as a stopover for somebody to obtain sustenance, but really to sort of extend the experience that they have in either the museum or Clayton or the greenhouse.”
10 PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER TASTE MAGAZINE 2019
T
HE CARNEGIE MUSEUMS reached for a similar goal recently
when a restaurant was planned for the adjoined Art and Natural History sites in Oakland. Though only two years old, Café Carnegie, located in full view of CMOA’s windowed lobby, has assimilated easily into its surroundings. “The café is all about an elevated experience, and that’s what we shoot for in everything we do at our museums,” says Kelly Thornton, director of special events and retail foodservice at the Carnegie Museums, calling Café Carnegie “a fresh take on the classic bistro.” Much like The Frick, Carnegie Museums also forewent quick fixes for a more heightened dining destination. To achieve this, The Café Carnegie brought on Sonja Finn, a James Beard-award semifinalist chef and owner of the East Liberty specialty pizzeria and wine bar Dinette. Under her direction, as well as that of chef de cuisine Becca Hegarty, the spot made a name for itself with its lunch, dinner, and brunch menus featuring locally-sourced meats and produce, and fresh bread and pastries, as well as a coffee and wine bar with curated beverage lists. “The Café Carnegie immediately benefited from the creativity, experience, and long-term relationships of chef Sonja Finn,” says Thornton. “Her partnerships include other passionate food artisans who consistently deliver stellar produce and products. It’s been a wonderful collaboration.” In terms of fitting in with the Carnegie Museums, Thornton says, “The Café Carnegie contributes to making a visit to the Carnegie Museums in Oakland a special, memorable experience. It also introduces more people to our museums who may not have visited before.” >>
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Inside Café Phipps at the Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens
She adds that they often host special museum events, including FEAST, a program at CMOA that, according to the website, “takes its cues from art on view at the museum for a completely unique, one-night-only immersive cultural experience.” FEAST often welcomes chefs from around the city to cook in the Café Carnegie, including an upcoming evening with Keyla Nogueira Cook of the Highland Park pop-up restaurant Casa Brasil.
P
HIPPS CONSERVATORY and Botanical Gardens in
Oakland has gone the extra mile to ensure its principles come through whenever a visitor sits down to eat a meal. Much like the Frick, Phipps president and CEO Richard Piacentini says the organization originally envisioned “a typical museum café, where a lot of the food is produced off-site.” “There wasn’t even a stove or hood in the café in the original design,” says Piacentini. However, the idea changed once the building went into the process of becoming LEED-certified, a distinction only given to structures designed and built to reduce its negative impact on the environment. “We started to ask ourselves how we make the café reflect the sustainability of the building,” says Piacentini. “As that process evolved we kept looking at how to make sure that the café aligns with our mission, which is to advance sustainability and promote human and environmental well-being through action and research.” >>
12 PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER TASTE MAGAZINE 2019
Chef Sonja Finn inside the Carnegie Museum of Art, displaying a dish from The Café Carnegie
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Fresh pasta, cured meat, and gelato, made from scratch in our exhibition kitchen alongside a delicious curated list of wine, beer & cocktails.
PHOTO: JARED WICKERHAM
A seasonal hummus plate, harvest salad, and Cuban chickpea vegan stew from Café Phipps
5430 Penn Ave • Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (412) 441-1700 • www.sporkpittsburgh.com
As a result, Café Phipps, which opened in 2005, has taken measures to ensure it contributes to the health of people and the planet. That includes no plastic disposable utensils and cooking from scratch with organic and local foods, cage-free eggs, and meat and dairy products sourced from humanely raised animals. As expected of a place that specializes in botanicals, it also manages its own garden and offers vegetarian and vegan options. In 2009, Café Phipps stopped selling bottled water. In 2011, junk food and soda were removed. “People protested [us] getting rid of soda,” says Piacentini. But he believes the choice aligned with the launch of their child wellness programs and made life easier for visitors, especially parents trying to teach healthy eating habits. “If you offer a kid French fries and apple chips, which are they going to pick? So we decided let’s just not offer any of that stuff, let’s make sure everything is a good choice.” So far, the gambles have paid off – in 2014, Café Phipps was chosen by Food and Wine magazine as one of the top museum restaurants in the country. As expected of a place that specializes in botanicals, they also manage their own garden and offer an array of vegetarian and vegan options. To expand their mission of spreading wellness, Phipps opened the Botany Hall Kitchen, a place for adults to learn culinary skills from various local chefs and food experts. “We try to emphasize this idea of healthy foods that’s good for people and good for the planet,” says Piacentini. He hopes that Phipps Café encourages other organizations to embrace the idea of being sustainable and responsible in the way they run their food services and operations and shows that success can come from trying new things. “I always tell people you can have your cake and eat it too,” says Piacentini. “Except we don’t sell cake.” •
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Pittsburgh Cultural Trust offers events for beer and wine nerds to geek out
PHOTOS: PITTSBURGH CULTURAL TRUST
BY RYAN DETO // RYANDETO@PGHCITYPAPER.COM
P
ITTSBURGH IS STILL very much a shot-andbeer town. Openly enjoying the complexities and flavors of one’s drink can be frowned upon in many establishments. Drink and be merry, just don’t mention the “maltiness” of your beverage. But screw that noise. If you love talking incessantly about the strain of hops in a beer or the earthy undertones of a Cabernet, the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust has got you covered. Twice a month at the Greer Cabaret Theater, the Trust hosts large events where wine- and beer-lovers can mingle and get really nerdy about booze. One night is dedicated to wine and another to beer. Wine events run on the first Wednesday of the month through May, and beer events run on the third Tuesday of the month through May. The happy-hour events last about 90 minutes, and crowds at times fill the theater. It can get pretty lively. According to the Trust’s website, special guests and experts are present to guide drinkers along the alcoholic journey and have curated food pairings that “perfectly complement” the beer and wine. The Wednesday Wine Flight event on March 6 explores four different wines of the Pacific Northwest, including bottles from the St.
16 PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER TASTE MAGAZINE 2019
Michele vineyard. Guests can also enjoy light appetizers and desserts after the show. April’s wine event showcases South American wines, and May’s is about women vintners from France. The Craft Beer School event on March 19 focuses on local brews with input from beer distribution legend Gene Ribnicky of Vecenie Distributing Company in Millvale. April’s beer event features Tim Matthews, brewer at Colorado’s Oskar Blues brewery, and May’s event welcomes brewmaster Fal Allen of California’s Anderson Valley Brewing Company. Beer events usually include Q&A time with panelists, as well as prize giveaways. Reservation deadlines are typically a week before each event. Participants must be 21 years old or older. •
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18 PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER TASTE MAGAZINE 2019
Jonathan Corey tends Spork’s garden, which produces crops and garnishes that end up on the restaurant’s menu.
GARDEN-TO-TABLE
Four great Pittsburgh restaurants who rely on gardens on-site to keep food fresh BY MAGGIE WEAVER // MWEAVER@PGHCITYPAPER.COM
N
EXT TO SPORK, Garfield’s small plate-centric restaurant, sit four raised beds and a greenhouse. In winter, it’s nothing special. Raised beds sit empty, barren against the winter’s bitter chill. In summer, it’s a different story. The beds overflow with spiny vines, beanstalks crawling up pre-set archways and tomatoes beaming from the corners of cages. The garden displays a playful taste in seeds, hand-picked by chief SPORK gardener Jonathan Corey. 5430 Penn Ave., This year, Corey plans to plant more than Garfield. Mon.100 varieties of seeds. He is sticking with Thu., 5-10 p.m.; heirloom seeds — diverse plants with names Fri.-Sat., 5-11 p.m. like Pineapple Tomato, Mitoyo Eggplant, and 412-441-1700 or Aji Charpito — to fill the garden space. sporkpittsburgh.com Along with endless dry seeds, Corey plans to incorporate live plants on the plots. Strawberry bushes and Chicago fig trees travel to the restaurant, covered and cultivated in the greenhouse until warmer days. Corey, who moonlights as a cook during the winter months, has full control over what the garden grows. It’s only challenged the kitchen a few times, the worst being a Rat Tail Radish. No one had seen or worked with the spindly bean (is it a bean or a vegetable?), but after a few tries, it found its place in Kimchi. Spork Garden harvests year-round. In winter, the greenhouse harvest is small, featuring greens that can withstand Pittsburgh’s winds. As March rolls around, Corey slows down the microgreen
production for an early harvest of root vegetables, rapini, and other produce that can handle temperatures below 15 degrees. By May, Spork Garden is nearly fully planted; the garden is in full swing by June. Since the garden operates year-round, a garden-grown product is always on the menu. In fact, every dish on the menu uses a housegrown item. It might be a garnish — Corey plants a wide-range of edible flowers — or it might be something preserved from an overzealous crop. During prime harvest, what’s picked in the morning will be on a plate that night.
T
HE PORCH IS a satellite restaurant from the Eat’n Park group but
polar opposite in taste. Even located in a college neighborhood (with a second location in Upper St. Clair), the eatery delivers high-quality, accessible dishes. There’s a focus on freshness and sustainability with a dash of creativity missing from straightforward Eat’n Park dishes. Head chef Andrew Jacobson and his team focus on local sourcing. Cue the beehives. Bees have been part of The Porch since about 2013, two years after the official restaurant debut. Each hive produces around 100 pounds of honey and this year, maybe more. Jacobson notes that the hives are “healthier than ever.” Previously, The Porch worked with local businesses to exhaust the 400 pounds of honey. A partnership between a local brewery resulted in a Porch-honey mead. Chocolate Bee Hive ice cream was a collaboration with Millie’s Ice Cream. Jacobson paired the black walnut fudge ripple honey cardamom ice cream with house-made baklava. >> TASTE MAGAZINE 2019 PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER 19
PHOTO: JOHN COLOMBO
Locally-sourced honey is a highlight in The Porch’s menu.
Honey isn’t the only hyper-local product at The Porch. On top of the restaurant, Jacobson and his crew tend to a seasonal garden that snakes along the rooftop. Fifteen wooden planters hold herbs, tomatoes, peppers, and more, the garden heading into its eighth active year this season. It’s rare to see a restaurant of this volume attempting in-house growth, especially with The Porch’s quick table turning. For Jacobson, it’s a constant learning process as he approaches the small-harvest, packed-restaurant conflict. Every year, through Eat’n Park’s THE PORCH strong relationship with Grow PittsAT SCHENLEY burgh, Jacobson picks seedlings from 221 Schenley Drive, Oakland. Phipps Conservatory. Jacobson keeps Mon.-Fri., 11 a.m.- 10 p.m.; his range of vegetables modest, in order Sat., 10 a.m.-11 p.m.; Sun., to offer a house-grown dish for three 10 a.m.-9 p.m. 412-687-6724 or four days. He sticks with heirloom or Dineattheporch.com varieties for better flavors and floods the planters with herbs. Rather than misrepresent the size of his garden, Jacobson crafts featured plates around the rooftop during growing season. He uses the harvests in hot sauce for wings, stuffed peppers, or heirloom tomato salads. And fresh-grown herbs are sprinkled throughout static menu items. Jacobson is new to gardening but sees it as a “labor of love.” For him, there’s nothing better than using ingredients cultivated in-house and watching customers be amazed by the freshness of the flavors. 20 PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER TASTE MAGAZINE 2019
B
ECCA HEGARTY and Jason Oddo, the team behind Bitter Ends Garden & Luncheonette, captured Pittsburgh’s attention with their mom-and-pop counter-service restaurant in Bloomfield. The small menu presents dishes with intention and care. Bitter Ends quickly topped restaurant charts, the often-present “Sold out! See you next week :)!” sign a display of love for the quirky cafe. The co-owners started out with a garden in Verona, clearing off a plot of land to fuel their farm-to-grill operation. When Hegarty’s mother headed into the late stages of ALS, Hegarty wanted to make something meaningful with the farm. Bitter Ends Garden & Luncheonette was opened in BITTER ENDS time for Hegarty’s mother to see a dream GARDEN & come to fruition. LUNCHEONETTE Despite high demand, Bitter Ends 4613 Liberty Ave., stays small. It allows the owners to source Bloomfield. Wed. 4-7 p.m.; a majority of their menu from the humble Thu.-Fri., 8 a.m.-2 p.m.; half acre of land in Verona. Oddo, who Sat.-Sun., 9 a.m.-2 p.m. manages the little farm, sprouts a mix of tillthebitterends.com heirloom and open-pollinated vegetables, all with rich ancestry. It’s a history lesson in seeds. In summer, 90 percent of the dishes are sourced directly from the farm. But, without a greenhouse, it does not produce year-round. In sub-zero temperatures, Bitter Ends sources from their “farm friends,” including Who Cooks for You?, Be.Wild.Er Farm, and Grow Pittsburgh.
PHOTO: JARED WICKERHAM
Fresh produce is used in dishes at Bitter Ends Garden & Luncheonette.
Hegarty and Oddo’s approach to sourcing is intimate, as they say, “We never write a menu without first meeting the product.” It’s a harvest-driven eatery that lets crops take the lead, dishes a vibrant showcase of the farm’s diversity. The two get down and dirty with food, treating their farm as a living, breathing organism, not a manufacturing agent. Their garden is the heart, soul, and spirit of Bitter Ends.
I
N A CITY of steel, The David L. Lawrence Convention Center
offers a sea of green. The massive building, teetering on the edge of Downtown, hosts multiple gardens and outdoor spaces that expand a combined 81,300 square feet around the center. To the south, a terrace houses native plants. The garden showcases a diverse range, including perennials and sedums (an indigenous plant genus). It’s not edible, but environmentally proactive all the same. Native plants produce clean air, store water, and help absorb heat. THE DAVID L. The terrace to the north overflows LAWRENCE with medicinal plants, pollinators, CONVENTION a range of vegetation that supports CENTER monarch butterflies, and of course, 1000 Fort Duquesne edible plants and garden boxes. Blvd., Downtown. Edible plants, cared for by the pittsburghcc.com convention center, are made into jams, sugars, and other treats. Blueberries, mountain mint, strawberries, and prickly pear can be found in the space, all native to the area. Garden boxes are under the care of Levy Convention Centers, the venue’s food service company. Twenty-seven boxes line the terrace overlooking the Allegheny River. Boxes feature a variety of tomatoes, strawberries, cucumbers, Brussels, and more. Over 80 percent of the herbs grown in the boxes go directly back into the convention center. •
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The Dirt Rag peanut butter burger at Over the Bar Bicycle Cafe
HOLD THE JELLY
A brief and unnecessary survey of serving burgers with peanut butter BY ALEX GORDON // ALEXGORDON@PGHCITYPAPER.COM
I
T’S PERFECTLY understandable if you don’t
know anything about Sedalia, Missouri, but that can change. The town of 21,000 sits near the center of the state, about an hour and half east of Kansas City on Route 50. It draws big crowds for its annual state fair and Scott Joplin Ragtime Festival. Ronald Reagan once visited. It’s the home of the first Carnegie Library built in Missouri. These are all admirable accolades, but what really matters is that it’s one of the first places where people started putting peanut butter on burgers. I’ve been interested in this unorthodox pairing since my first bite of the famous Dirt Rag burger at Over The Bar Bicycle Cafe in South Side eight years ago. Named after the Pittsburgh-based cycling magazine, this combination of beef patty, American cheese, pickles, and Wholey’s fresh-ground peanut butter struck me as one of the strangest, most appealing bites of food I’d ever had. To be fair, I’m not an adventurous eater, so for me this small step is kind of a giant leap. It’s not so much a gross or adventurous combination as it is unexpected, so I’ve dedicated a lot of my free time since trying to find out why it tastes so good and where it came from. That’s what brought me to Sedalia (by email). The local historical society directed me to Dr. Becky Imhauser, an author and educator who’s written a dozen books on Sedalian history. She told me the story of the Wheel Inn, which has unofficial distinction
24 PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER TASTE MAGAZINE 2019
as inventor of the peanut butter burger, or “guberburger.” (A “goober” is a nickname for a peanut, but Imhauser is unsure the origin of the alternative spelling.) Though Sedalia and the Wheel Inn generally get credit for popularizing the PB&B, it’s tough to discount possible “multiple discovery” theories, so let’s just say the dish is strongly associated with peanut-loving Missouri, possibly in a nod to the fact that peanut-innovator George Washington Carver was born in the southwest corner of the state. What is certain is that the Wheel Inn (19472007) was in a prime location to disseminate their trademark dish. Situated at the intersection of two major highways, the restaurant became a go-to stop for travelers, hence helping spread the dish’s popularity beyond central Missouri. This is how it eventually made its way to Carson Street. OTB co-owner Marty Maloney discovered the guberburger thanks a fortuitous trip to a restaurant ten years ago. He and OTB co-founder Mike Kotyk were in the midst of developing the space, still weeks from opening. Maloney visited a restaurant owned by his friend’s parents in Mercer County and noticed the word “guberburger” listed among the specials. The owners said that they’d discovered the dish in Chicago, and explained the mysterious success of pairing peanut butter with ground beef and cheese. Maloney rolled the dice and loved it, and found himself driven
an urban bistro in the heart of mt. lebanon
PHOTO: TOM C. TAYLOR
The Wheel Inn
to get the dish on OTB’s menu. Without a kitchen in which to experiment, he and Kotyk picked up the supplies from a grocery store and cooked up a demo burger in Kotyk’s kitchen. “We were like, ‘wow that really works,’” says Maloney. “But [we had been] skeptical.” Ten years in, the Dirt Rag is among the restaurant’s top sellers and one of the few to survive every iteration of the menu. Maloney says that during busy seasons, OTB buys as much as 30 pounds of Wholey’s peanut butter every couple of weeks to keep the Dirt Rags stocked. OTB offers bacon as an add-on, but Maloney feels the cheese-pickle-peanut butter triumvirate is too important to break up with substitutions and specialty orders. I have to say I agree. With one fewer ingredient, it’s not nearly as weird, nor as good. It’s like a great R&B group; the ingredients harmonize well and nobody is expendable. These days, you can find peanut butter burgers all over the country. I found versions of the burger in San Francisco and Tampa, plus no shortage in Missouri. I spoke with Chad Vigneulle, chef of Harlem Public, whose iteration regularly attracts food blogs helpless at the sight of its volcanic appearance.
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412.306.1919 www.bistro19.com
“IT’S NOT WEIRD AT ALL.” Here in Pittsburgh, there are plenty of solid options for PB&Bs. Many of the local build-it-yourself burger joints (Stack’d, Burgh’ers, BRGR) offer it as a topping, and even if they don’t, I mean, it’s peanut butter, I’m sure they could round some up if you ask. Burgatory goes a little farther than other versions in town, with its Piggy Butter and Jelly burger, featuring candied bacon, white American cheese, bread and butter pickles, peanut butter, habanero jelly. What a world. As I concluded this pointless survey, I realized that there’s no question of whether the combination works, but I continued to wonder why. I asked chefs, my friends, even Imhauser, and nobody could say why for sure. Some pointed out that the combination is only unexpected to Western palates, since peanuts figure heavily in the preparation and spicing of meat dishes in Asia. The closest to satisfactory answer I got as to why the dish works was from Vigneulle. “It just does,” Vigneulle wrote in an email. “Everyone sees it on social media, or the Food Network or wherever and instantly thinks it disgusting and we’re jumping the shark with our menu, but it’s not weird at all.” He says that 90 percent of people who try it come back for another taste. “I think people are afraid to leave their comfort zone. Going out to eat and drink should be a fun and exciting experience,” Vigneulle wrote. “Trying new things is what makes it just that.” •
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Dinner music Spice up your dining experience with live music BY JORDAN SNOWDEN // JSNOWDEN@PGHCITYPAPER.COM
26 PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER TASTE MAGAZINE 2019
Benny Benack and the Benny Benack band performs at NOLA. PHOTO: JARED WICKERHAM
A
CERTAIN SMELL can trigger a taste of a favorite meal you haven’t had in years. Hearing a song from a decade ago can evoke long-forgotten feelings. Our senses are all connected, so it should come as no surprise that listening to music while eating can enhance the taste of a meal and overall dining experience. In recent years, Charles Spence, who runs the Crossmodal Research Laboratory at Oxford University’s Experimental Psychology Department, has become a leader in sonic seasoning research, which studies the effect of sound on food taste. It turns out that food tastes better with background noise. In fact, they found that silence actually took away from the enjoyment of eating a meal. So, to help make your dining experience a little tastier, here are three establishments in Pittsburgh where one can find both food and music. Bon Appetit! >> TASTE MAGAZINE 2019 PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER
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CARMI SUPPER CLUB AT CARMI SOUL FOOD 10 p.m.-2 a.m. 1825 E. Carson St., South Side. carmirestaurant.com
S
OUTH SIDE IS often thought of as young
folk’s territory, but every Friday night after Carmi Soul Food’s regular hours, the restaurant opens its doors for an exclusive Supper Club. From 10 p.m. to 2 a.m., those 30 and over can relax, eat, drink, and listen to music — in a space without those in their 20s. Two to three of those Fridays features live music, while the others are reserved for DJs. Usually, Carmi plays a range of jazz, R&B, oldies, blues, and acoustic music. “The Supper Club is exclusively for the 30 and over crowd,” says co-owner Carleen King. “So, we do keep the bands on brand, but I think country and soul food should be partners as well.” While there have been repeat performers at The Supper Club, Carmi likes to switch it up each week. Some of the past ones include The Funky Fly Project, Tubby Daniels, Anita Levels, Teresa Hawthorne and Lagacee, Shawn Allen, and up-and-coming recording artist Dejah Monet. Food wise, during the Supper Club, Carmi offers an expanded appetizer and “bar food”
28 PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER TASTE MAGAZINE 2019
PHOTOS: JARED WICKERHAM
Crystal Turner of Greentree dances as DJ Nate Da Barber hosts Carmi's Supper Club.
menu featuring soul food classics, like fried chicken, mac and cheese, cornbread and more. The kitchen stays open until midnight. “When I’m listening to live music and eating soul food,” says King, “I feel like I am transported to swanky Harlem Juke Joint and it absolutely gives me breath.” She went on further to describe the event as electric. “There is head bobbing, two-stepping, shoulder swaying, finger popping, hip moving, chair dancing, and laughter. My favorite response is ‘Who’s here next week?’ It sums up the whole purpose. It’s been my joy for years to introduce other cultures to Soul Food, which is very dear to my heart. Now we have the unique honor and pleasure to introduce the Supper Club Culture.”
PHOTO: JARED WICKERHAM
Benny Benack outside NOLA on the Square
NOLA ON THE SQUARE Live music every Friday and Saturday. 8-11 p.m. 24 Market Square, Downtown. nolaonthe square.com
A
TRIP TO Louisiana is not necessary to get a touch of that New .Orleans energy. NOLA On The Square brings a Nouveau Creole menu, with live jazz and blues music to Pittsburgh every weekend. NOLA is open seven days a week and offers a variety of Creole cuisine options — lunch, dinner, $4 food and drink happy hours, vegan and vegetarian, and gluten-free. A Facebook review from Phyllis Martin says, “I was in New Orleans last month the food at NOLA was better than three of the restaurants in the real NOLA.” But where NOLA really shines is Friday and Saturday evenings from 8-11 p.m., with its live music performances, truly ushering in the New Orleans way of life. During the warmer seasons, there is an outdoor patio area where diners can eat and enjoy the sunshine while music floats through the air. NOLA’s January lineup included John Gresh, Flow Band, Benny Benack, Neon Swing X-perience, Dan Bubien, Eddan Sparks Trio, Rick Matt, and Olga Watkins Band. >>
www.Paris66Bistro.com | 412.404.8166 | 6018 Centre Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA
TASTE MAGAZINE 2019 PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER 29
PHOTO: JOHN COLOMBO
Jay Willis featuring The Jenny Wilson trio at Savoy's Monday Night Jazz
SAVOY
Monday Night Jazz. All Ages. 6-9 p.m. 2623 Penn Ave., Strip District. savoypgh.com
S
TART YOUR week off with a dash of jazz. Savoy, created
by Chuck Sanders to showcase Black excellence in the area of fine dining, further embraces Black culture with its Monday Night Jazz event. “Pittsburgh is one of the most influential cities in the development of Jazz,” says Charles Sanders, Chuck’s brother and creator of the Monday Night Jazz. “So, being a lover of and performer of this culturally significant genre of music, I thought it was important that Pittsburgh have a premium place to showcase it as often as possible.” From 6-9 p.m. jazz fans and music lovers alike can enjoy local and national musicians and bands. In the past, Roger Humphries, Kenny Blake, Etta Cox, Tony Campbell, Fred Pugh III, Judi Figel, Harry Cardillo, Elevations (a next-generation quintet), The Funky Fly Project, and national recording artist Sean Jones have taken the stage at Savoy. The kitchen is open for the entirety of the set, featuring
30 PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER TASTE MAGAZINE 2019
a full dinner, dessert, and bar menus. Specials include a Savoy Monday Night Jazz dinner feature (entree and two sides for $30) and Savoy sangrias, red or white, for $5. All domestic beers are $3. “[Monday Night Jazz is] power packed and lively,” says Charles. “It’s reminiscent of such legendary jazz spots like the Crawford Grill and the Balcony.” Furbished with spotless, chic white furniture, mood lighting, and orange and red accents, Savory aims for a higher tier of restaurant service and experience. The Strip District location asks that all customers wear at least business casual attire — no sneakers, caps, or tank tops. “Savoy [is meant] to be a cultural hub for people of all walks of life to enjoy the ‘good life’ which Monday Night Jazz is a key element,” says Charles. “We’ve been at it for over seven years and with the continued support of our wonderful patrons, will keep the music playing for many more years to come.” >>
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Erica Altmiller Live Mediumship Demonstration
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Tribute to david bowie
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Saturday April 27
Rhonda Vincent and The Rage 7 PM
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Saturday, March 9 Credence Clearwater Revival & Fogerty Tribute
Friday MARch 29
Completely Unchained The Ultimate Van Halen Tribute 8 PM
8pm
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Saturday, March 2 Elvis Tribute Artist
Matthew Boyce 8pm
saturday, MARch 30
Pitt Floyd Pittsburgh’s #1 Pink Floyd Tribute 8 PM
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CASA REYNA
Live Latin Music. Fridays, 7-8:30 p.m. 2031 Penn Ave., Strip District. All Ages. casareyna pgh.com
I
T ONLY FITS that Casa Reyna has live Latin music most Friday evenings in the summer. The upbeat, high-energy sound pairs well with hot, sunny days and the restaurant’s fresh local ingredients. “Casa Reyna, as well as our customers, love the Latin theme of our restaurant,” says Carol Herder, director of operations, events, and catering. “We try to go with our theme. The music fits into our decor very smoothly. Its lively and family-party atmosphere.” Trio Nova has played at Casa Reyna, along with John Marcinizyn, the restaurant’s favorite. Herder says that he is an excellent guitarist, especially in the Latin theme, and teaches at Carnegie Mellon University. “We give a free dessert to any birthday person (with ID) and choreograph [Marcinizyn] to play the music as we sing ‘Happy Birthday’ in Spanish, and we present the dessert. The birthday person is welcome to wear a sombrero and take selfies. People are always happy to play along. Casa Reyna is a favorite Mexican restaurant hangout for a swelling number of locals and draws a huge tourist following.” •
On Cooking and Music
“
Music is such a pick-me-up in restaurants. Keeps the staff upbeat and moving. Every kitchen I’ve been is has been different. From kitchens that play the Grateful Dead all the time to kitchens that have a genre of music from Pandora for every day of the week such as Hairband Saturdays and Michael Jackson Sundays. It keeps the mood positive and fun.” — Chef, Chris O’Brien of Scratch Food & Beverage
SEARCH “PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER” ON SPOTIFY FOR A PLAYLIST OF COOKING SONGS, COMPLIED BY LOCAL CHEFS. 32 PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER TASTE MAGAZINE 2019
LO C ALLY OWN E D AN D D E LI C I O U S
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1114 Grandview Ave • Pittsburgh, PA 15211 412-431-3100 • LeMontPittsburgh.com TASTE MAGAZINE 2019 PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER 33
PHOTO: JOHN COLOMBO
Victor and David Rodriguez inside the bowling alley at Enix Brewing Company
FUN FOODS BY HANNAH LYNN // HLYNN@PGHCITYPAPER.COM
F
OOD AND ENTERTAINMENT go hand in hand. Watching a movie just isn’t the same without a bowl of popcorn to scarf down like an animal. Bowling is better if there’s something to munch on while teammates take their turns. A few local establishments in the business of fun have gone a step further, providing classic snack foods with a twist, as well as elaborate dishes you’d never think to find at gaming hub.
ENIX BREWING COMPANY
The craft beer trend has grown so quickly that its intersection with grown-up games was inevitable. Enix Brewing Company combines its hand-crafted beer with food from the owners’ native Spain. Empanadas, clam flatbread, and stewed oxtail can be combined with in-house stouts, IPAs, and light beer. Above the restaurant area is an eight-lane bowling alley, where bowlers can drink beer and eat from a limited menu. It’s fair to say that this is a step up from the Day-Glo nachos and cold fries of typical bowling alleys. 337 E. 8th Ave., Homestead. enix.beer 34 PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER TASTE MAGAZINE 2019
DEPENDABLE DRIVE-IN
As the last remaining drive-in theater in the area, Dependable is a unique and nostalgic way to watch new movies. The Moon Township establishment also features one of the best websites in the area, possibly the state. Saunter over to the snack bar section and there are dancing hot dogs above a lineup of classic treats. Dependable has typical movie theater fare at a reasonable price, plus an array of carnival foods, including hoagies, deep-fried burgers, chili-cheese dogs, ice cream, funnel cake, and more. They’d probably make a hot dog dance if you asked. 549 Moon Clinton Rd., Moon. dependabledrivein.com
KICKBACK PINBALL CAFÉ
Pinball requires lots of concentration and intense hand/arm gripping. It can work up a sweat, if you’re serious enough. At Kickback, there are over a dozen pinball machines, with themes ranging from Aerosmith to Popeye. Once you’ve proved your athleticism, there’s a menu of hearty, cheesy sandwiches to refuel. The “Godmother”
features pesto, tomatoes, mozzarella, rella, and a balsamic glaze; the “Tony Pepperoni” peroni” has tomato sauce, pepperoni, and tures provolone; and the “Hipster” features jam, gouda, jalapeno, and bacon. This ain’t your grandmother’s pinball shop! here are For loading up on extra dairy, there also milkshakes and floats. 4326 Butler St., Lawrenceville. kickbackpgh.com
VICTORY POINTE
This arcade blends old and new, with th classic and modern game consoles, tabletop games, ames, pinball, and virtual reality. In addition to a comprehensive e offers a nice range of arcade games, Victory Pointe rinks. Featuring selection of ice cream and specialty drinks. locally made Betsy’s ice cream, their menu of treats s. There are even includes floats, sundaes, splits, and shakes. urmet, and “top tiers of milkshakes, including basic, gourmet, hocolate. Gourmet tier.” Basic starts with typical vanilla or chocolate. includes Butterbeer, birthday cake, and a shake nam named after Princess Leia. The top tier shakes have names like “Smaug” and “Wasteland” and feature ingredients like matcha tea and cayenne pepper. They also serve an array of hot chocolates, oda 113 E. Carson St., coffee, regular and specialty mixed sodas. South Side. victorypointe.com •
CP RECOMMENDS ... Anyone who says that they havee no problem taking a straight shot — no chaser — is lying. Liquor on its own is a sharp kickk in the throat, and most chaser options are weak. TThe solution iis a Picklebacks, w which is a shot of whiskey follow followed by a sshot of pickle juice. Don’t wrinkle your nose in disgust! Every time someone is wary of a pi pickle shot, I tell them to trust in the pickle, and every time they say “wow, you’re right!” an The salty, briney juice is the perfect chaser Th to ccover the harsh liquor. — Hannah Lynn
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www.nickysthaikitchen.com TASTE MAGAZINE 2019 PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER 35
Breaking Bread
The magical healing powers of making bagels BY TOM HUGHES // INFO@PGHCITYPAPER.COM
T
HE FORMAT OF Bagel Day is straightforward. On Saturdays, I wake up around
5 a.m. and make between four and six dozen bagels. Closer to 10 a.m., I brew a few pots of coffee. People can stop by between 10 and noon. No one can make special requests, and no one is allowed to talk about work. That’s it. Everyone is welcome. The first Bagel Day was last November, but the origin of the event goes back to 2014 — with the end of my last relationship. Three months into dating, I hit a rough patch of depression. It had always been difficult to gauge how long these stretches could last. Sometimes they went on for months at a time. I felt that I wasn’t being fair to her, so we broke up. One of the lasting images I have of our relationship is her sweeping into the kitchen of my apartment, groceries in hand, gracefully whipping together dinner. She emanated this magical energy when she cooked that I couldn’t understand, but found so impressive. These stretches of depression and anxiety began when I was twelve and would pop up unpredictably. Very rarely would I talk about it; I felt embarrassed. I have great parents, a stable and supportive upbringing, and an expansive community of friends. For over two decades, I believed I was weak-willed and lazy. I wasn’t “actually” depressed. I just needed to try harder. It became my mantra.
ILLUSTRATIONS: ABBIE ADAMS
36 PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER TASTE MAGAZINE 2019
A few doctors gave me blood tests and told me that I wasn’t clinically depressed. A few trips to a psychologist were frustrating, and I was scared of taking medication, still under the belief that this was just a personal weakness. I also had a growing list of personal issues: I was overweight and in poor physical health because of an old back injury; I was a heavy smoker and drank too much beer; I rarely, if ever, exercised; and, I ate like garbage — eating out in bars or getting fast food for most of my meals. After the breakup, I wanted a fresh start, so I did what I always do when I wanted to start over — I moved. A few months later, I started a new job that was a major step up for my career. I was keen to launch out of this funk through sheer willpower.
SHE EMANATED THIS MAGICAL ENERGY WHEN SHE COOKED THAT I COULDN’T UNDERSTAND, BUT FOUND SO IMPRESSIVE.
T
HREE YEARS LATER, my landlord sent me a text
about renewing my lease. It was the first time in a long time that I thought about moving again. I looked around my apartment from my well-worn spot on the couch: The floor was covered in dirty clothes, empty food containers, and scattered cardboard boxes, even though the deliveries were from years ago. My kitchen sink was full of dishes I hadn’t touched in six months. The refrigerator was almost always empty. Deeply embarrassed, I would rarely invite anyone over. The blinds were always drawn. A pattern had developed where I would come home from work, lay down on the couch, and watch TV until I fell asleep. On the weekends, I would avoid my apartment, eating out then heading home when bars got too crowded — right back to my spot on the couch. Three years had passed. I had moved, but I hadn’t changed. Determined that a move would change things, I found a new place in Polish Hill. It was full of light, with trees visible from every window and an expansive garden in the backyard. I signed the lease. It was going to be different this time.
I
T WAS THAT next month that I discovered I had made a minor, but problematic mistake at work. There were very few people around when I had my panic attack. After throwing up, I left work early and went to my go-to bar, trying to calm down but drinking on an empty stomach. I ran into a friend and she got me to start talking. I cried at the bar. I don’t remember a lot of what I said, but I do remember saying “I don’t want to do this anymore.” That same week, Anthony Bourdain killed himself. He wasn’t perfect, but he represented this kind of ideal lifestyle for me. Someone who traveled the world and deeply appreciated human connection. And he killed himself. Something clicked. The moves weren’t for fresh starts. I was running away. It wasn’t normal stress and anxiety. I had lost the ability to put things in perspective. I wasn’t bad at dating. I was abandoning my emotions. It isn’t a lack of effort or a weak will. I was sick. That next week, for the first time in almost six years, I went to see a doctor. After I opened up to him, he told me that I had probably received some poor advice — depression can be complicated. He gave me a prescription for antidepressants and referrals for people who could help me make a positive, actual change. >>
TASTE MAGAZINE 2019 PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER 37
I OUTD O OR SEAT SEATIING, NG, B .Y.O.B .Y.O.B..
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38 PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER TASTE MAGAZINE 2019
T TOOK ABOUT a month for me to start feeling that change, but it was incredible when I did. It wasn’t that I felt happy. It was this empowering feeling of normality. I had the energy to get rid of my clutter, to shed a pile of belongings that were weighing me down. I was meeting with specialists and making dramatic lifestyle changes for my health. It was with this new sensation that I moved into my new apartment in August, and four days later, with newfound energy and interest in life, I baked my first ever loaf of bread. I made my first batch of bagels a few weeks later on a whim and I found them both surprisingly easy and fun to make. To most people, the method is somewhat mysterious and magical. Their faces would light up when I handed them a homemade bagel. I continued to make small batches for parties and at their request, I treated my students to a big batch of bagels for their course final. A few weeks later, the Tree of Life Synagogue shooting took place. Like most people, the shooting shook me. I worked only a few miles away. I had students that lived in that part of Squirrel Hill. I remember going to a restaurant the next day and looking across the room as different people would occasionally take a small moment to themselves to cry. I wanted to reach out to my friends, my students, and others, but I was worried that a generic message of support could ring hollow. I wanted to share some expression of care, so that Monday I posted a message on Instagram and Twitter:
E
LEVEN HOUSEHOLDS responded — I decided to include a few others as a surprise. That Saturday, a week after the shooting, I woke up at 5 a.m. and made four dozen bagels. Packed in paper sacks, I distributed them throughout Pittsburgh. Most people weren’t awake, so I shoved bags of bagels in mail slots and in doorways. A few people were awake and got hugs. It felt good. That following Saturday was the first Bagel Day. Over the course of two hours, about twenty-six people came. And I kept hosting the event. In the Bagel Days that have followed, the most that have ever come is forty and the fewest ten. My parents, siblings, and cousins have all come. My grandmother came once. A group of my students come every week. Co-workers come. Close friends come. People whom I didn’t realize were close friends come and reveal themselves to be, in fact, close friends. People have brought their friends. People have brought their parents. My friends brought their newborn baby once.
ON SATURDAYS, I GET UP AND BAKE FOUR TO SIX DOZEN BAGELS. Every week, about half are regulars and half are firsttimers. We play Mario Kart and solve jigsaw puzzles. We talk in the kitchen about ridiculous things. Around noon, everyone leaves. I put dishes in the dishwasher and take a nap. By the end of January, I will have held ten Bagel Days and baked approximately seven hundred and fifty bagels since that first batch in August. On Saturdays, I get up and bake four to six dozen bagels. My apartment is clean and I open my doors to others. I mix everyone together for no reason other than mixing them together. No money changes hands. There’s no alcohol (except once someone made mimosas). It’s loud and everyone is in my space. I rarely get to sit down and by noon I’m exhausted. My house fills with that magical energy, and I’m thinking about taking dating seriously again. •
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Y R E I F FIVE
Five of Pittsburgh’s spiciest dishes BY RYAN DETO RYANDETO@PGHCITYPAPER.COM
> Damn Hot Chicken Sandwich at CHiKN
PHOTO: JOHN COLOMBO
P
ITTSBURGH IS known for a lot of flavors: buttery, vinegary, meaty, etc. Spicy isn’t really one of them. Truly spicy foods aren’t in Pittsburgh’s culinary lexicon of hearty Eastern European and Italian cuisines. But with the rise in popularity of some outside culinary influences, Pittsburgh is heating up. Here are some of region’s spiciest and most delicious dishes.
40 PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER TASTE MAGAZINE 2019
Chengdu Gourmet 5840 FORWARD AVE., SQUIRREL HILL. CHENGDUPITTSBURGH.COM
• Chongqing Beef Hot Pot • Pittsburgh’s best Chinese restaurant specializes in food from the Sichuan province. And that food is red hot, spiced with intense chilies and numbing peppercorns. The best way to enjoy it is with the Chongqing Beef Hot Pot, where slices of beef, vegetables, and noodles absorb the heat of an intensely spicy broth. Try slurping the soup for a next-world spicy experience.
CHiKN 3712 FORBES AVE., OAKLAND. HOTCHIKN.COM
• Damn Hot Chicken Sandwich • A little taste of Nashville is coming to Oakland. The new chicken-sandwich joint is capitalizing on the food trend of hot chicken: fried or breaded poultry doused in a cayenne pepper sauce. CHiKN’s Damn Hot Chicken Sandwich will make you sweat; its tangy coleslaw offers a little reprieve, but not much.
Las Velas 21 MARKET SQUARE, DOWNTOWN. LASVELASMEX.COM
• Diabla shrimp • Diabla is the Spanish word for she-devil and this dish delivers that special fiery-brimstone level spice. The cool freshness of the shrimp can’t save you from a red sauce made from smoky adobo seasoning and scorching habanero peppers. As the menu notes, this dish is “not for the timid.”
Quaker Steak and Lube MULTIPLE LOCATIONS. THELUBE.COM
• Triple Atomic Wings • Probably the hottest thing in Pittsburgh comes from a Western Pennsylvania wing staple. The Triple Atomic Wings are so hot, a release order must be signed before consumption. The heat level is off the charts at 500,000 Scoville units. (Their next spiciest is 150,000 Scoville units.) Only the truly brave can try the Triple Atomic challenge.
Taste of India 4320 PENN AVE., BLOOMFIELD. TASTEOFINDIAPITTSBURGH.COM
• Dal Makhani • Hot and spicy foods typically include some kind of meat, but vegetarians shouldn’t worry. They can enjoy some fire-breathing food too. Dal Makhani is a creamed lentil dish that is aggressively spiced, and actually quite filling. It’s slow cooked, so it has a depth of flavor beyond the heat. Mix in some yogurt or raita to cool the dal down. TASTE MAGAZINE 2019 PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER 41
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