Editorial
Summer’s Bounty Deval (Reshma) Paranjpe, MD, MBA, FACS
T
he middle of summer calls for dining al fresco and discovering new places and revisiting old favorites. Here are some in-depth reviews of some joyous places you should try around town in your summer travels. Café Zinho 238 Spahr Street (near the corner of Ellsworth) 412-363-1500 Wed-Sat 5pm-10pm, Closed Sun-Tues Reservations recommended I broke my in-person dining fast at Café Zinho in late spring when al fresco dining opened. Café Zinho was the natural place to go. The isolation of the pandemic led many people to develop or rekindle friendships through social media, and one of those beautiful pandemic links for me has been Chef Toni Pais. I knew Toni from his beautiful Tiffany blue Portugese restaurant downtown called Café Zao, nearly 2 decades ago when I moved back to Pittsburgh after fellowship and was exploring the dining scene downtown. He was always so kind and gracious, and taught me about port and Portuguese dishes. I’d treat myself to dinner at the bar now and then because I hadn’t made many friends in those days, and some days Toni would be behind the bar and we’d chat. I knew he was a
ACMS Bulletin / July 2022
legend, of course, world-renowned and a Pittsburgh icon. His famed restaurant Baum Vivant was the longstanding epitome of fine dining in Pittsburgh when I was a resident and couldn’t afford it. (Back in those days getting an invite to a pharma dinner at Baum Vivant was a ticket to paradise for a mere trainee.) So, to be on the receiving end of culinary and bartending pearls from such a master, generously dispensed over a beautiful supper at the bar…I literally ate it up. Fast forward a few years; Toni began to notice uncontrollable shaking of his left arm and was diagnosed with early-stage Parkinson’s disease. He started medical therapy and went back to work, but the symptoms proved to be more than pharmaceuticals alone could control. He was deemed a good candidate for DBS (deep brain stimulation) and underwent electrode placement within the MRI scanner while sedated. A month later, the patient-adjustable pulse generator by his clavicle was activated; he immediately enjoyed significant improvement and was able to work and enjoy life again and titrate pulses to his symptoms. I made an early reservation to avoid the rush and had dinner at one of Café Zinho’s charming sidewalk tables on a late spring afternoon with a cool breeze blowing. What did I want to order from this exquisite menu? I asked Toni to choose for me. Chef’s choice of rich
roasted tomato bisque, his signature Portugese fisherman’s stew and an incredibly indulgent chocolate mousse reminded me that there’s still plenty of joy to be found in life. Toni even joined me briefly before the rush started, like the old days, and we talked about Pittsburgh, food, and his miraculous recovery and his road forward. He’s grateful for everything, makes the most of every day, and celebrates his loyal staff daily. Toni’s creative process is very much like that of Michelangelo, who saw his David trapped in the block of marble, waiting to be freed. Toni can taste the finished dish in his imagination before he sculpts it out of the finest ingredients and brings it to dazzling life. Try his delicious upscale European/Mediterranean creations and his newest one, which I’m honored to say was born out of our conversation that day: Goan Fish Curry. Inspired by the famous style of fish curry from Goa (an old Portugese colony in India), you’ll not find it in any other restaurant in Pittsburgh. Please go dine at Café Zinho and say hello to Toni Pais, a longstanding Pittsburgh treasure, culinary maestro and medical miracle. Cash or check only, ATM on premises. BYOB, upscale, reservations recommended. Continued on Page 6
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