Eating in The 'Burgh

Clevelanders flying to or through Steelers territory will soon be able to get a taste of home. Michael Symon’s Bar Symon will be opening in the Pittsburgh International Airport in mid-June. The menu will feature some of his beloved signature items like the burger with fried egg on top and over-the-top mac & cheese. But if your travels take you beyond the concourse and into the city, there are some excellent dining options.

The husband and I discovered a terrific year old spot last weekend in the cultural district while visiting our son and his wife. It’s called Meat and Potatoes. The name is meant to signal that easy to love accessible understandable comfort food is served here. But Chef Richard DeShantz also uses the phrase-which can be something of a slur, denoting a certain lack of culinary sophistication- facetiously. Because he defines this as a gastropub and in keeping with that concept these most basic of ingredients are the foundation for interesting, inventive, high quality scratch made fare. The four of us gorged on a platter of roasted marrow bones, fried pickles with spicy ranch dipping sauce, smoked chicken wings, Yukon potato skins with cheese and a thick slab of pork belly pastrami on top, a huge bowl of mussels cooked in white wine with a side of frites, gnocchi Bolognese with pancetta and short ribs, and fat smoked pork chop with spicy slaw.

The bar stocks the best artisanal spirits including locally produced Boyd and Blair vodka. Craft cocktails are a house specialty- my Tequila Fizz, a mix of Cazadores Reposado, fresh lime, foamy egg whites, agave, and orange bitters was wonderful. The bar has a great selection of boutique beers and offers absinthe, complete with the requisite ice water and sugar cube.

It’s a handsome cozy space, with chairs so comfy we didn’t want to leave and an appealing urban patio. The crowd was a mix of hatted hipsters and guys in knit golf shirts. The place was packed and full of energy at 11 PM, with people still arriving at that late hour for dinner.

Another downtown Pittsburgh restaurant I want to mention is Elements Contemporary Cuisine. The food is very good, especially the house cured meat and cheese presentations, but what sets them apart from any place in Cleveland- and beyond- is the dessert menu. My daughter-in-law, who would rather eat chocolate than pretty much anything else, literally gasped with delight when she saw the build your own chocolate plate option. There are truffles of every description, solid chunks, bars, brittles and barks, caramel crunch and petit fours. You can opt for three pieces, six, or (just imagine) a full platter.

Pittsburgh’s only 2 ½ hours away- not far for an overnight getaway, even a day trip. The kids just bought a house there so no doubt it’s a drive we’ll be making often. As I continue to explore that city, I’ll periodically share my eating and drinking discoveries.

How Far Will You Go?

Now that the G-20 Summit has come and gone, travel restrictions in and out of Pittsburgh have been lifted. The strategically placed barriers are gone, the anarchists have moved on, and the downtown streets are back to business as usual. Though not invited to share my thoughts on the world economic situation nor being paid to report on the gathering, I was in Steel City last week for a combination of business and pleasure. A high spot of my visit was a meal at Sonoma Grille.

The wine-centric restaurant is the creation of a French chef Yves Carreau, who fell in love with California’s progressive melting pot food and grape culture. He brought that sensibility East and made it the inspiration for this place. There are 115 wines by the glass: no place in Cleveland offers this kind of selection in single pours and it’s a wonderful way to experience new labels and special vintages. In addition, there almost 300 wines by the bottle, plus a separate list of 60 cult bottles at prices that would make most of us think twice. All are from the West Coast and the variety is truly astonishing. Two that I tried and enjoyed: a 2006 Washington state L’ecole no.41 semillion, and an Au Bon Climat Pinot Noir from Sonoma.

Food was absolutely top-notch, and I love the way the menu’s organized to help make pairing easy. Dishes are grouped not by courses, but in categories according to the wine type that complements them: Subtle/Delicate; Tangy/Lively; Fruity/Jammy; Fleshy/Hearty; Spicy/Muscular. Most are sized between small plates and full entrees.

Three of us shared a fabulous five dish feast. It began with an ahi tro, featuring three different tuna preparations- a taratre with white truffle and wasabi mayo, seared with spicy green mango kuchela (kind of a pickle), and a spring roll. Next up were diver scallops wrapped in La Quercia Farms proscuitto with sherry papya gastrique, and the multi-part Study of Duck- the bird was presented smoked, as a confit Benedict with a sunny side quail egg on top, and cured like pastrami. Then we polished off a plate of braised beef short ribs.

For a glorious finish, we had apple bread pudding and Grand Marnier cheesecake.

The restaurant, located near the Convention Center adjacent to the Courtyard by Marriott hotel, is so good that I’d say it’s worth making the two hour drive just for dinner. I don't think that's too far to go for an extraordinary meal. But there are so many other interesting things to see and do on Pittsburgh that you might just want to stay a couple of days. (Then you can go back to Sonoma Grille for lunch).

Photos by Barney Taxel