Six of us arrived on time for our Saturday, 5 p.m., reservation. As others have said, they’ve done wonders with the decor…a charming, rustic vibe that went along with the personalities of every employee we encountered. We were seated in the produce room. Three picnic-style tables filled the pretty little room.
As she opened our wine, our server went over the few specials. We were served a prebuttered and seasoned loaf of crusty bread. We ordered the special burrata appetizer with local peaches and figs and a balsamic drizzle, the roasted oysters, and fried balls (beef, pork, veal combo deep-fried and served with salsa verde). We were served a complimentary order of ravioli in bolognese sauce.
After we ordered our appetizers, we went to the meat room to pick our steaks. We ordered a porterhouse and a bone-in strip steak, medium rare. We chose to have them served sliced. For sides, we ordered mac n’ cheese, smashed potatoes, and haricot verts. Seeing them next to us in the beautiful produce case, my husband and one of the birthday boys ordered grilled long hot peppers. (They both suffered in a similar manner the next day.)
All of the appetizers were hits. We rabidly passed them around, using extra bread to sop up the oyster, burrata, and bolognese juices. The steaks were cooked and seasoned perfectly. The one person in the party who prefers her steaks mooing was pleased with her pink slices. The sides were yummy too, especially the mac n’ cheese. The smashed potatoes were rich and we were so involved being carnivores that they ended up going home as leftovers. The haricot verts were cooked perfectly, al dente with crunchy garlic bits.
We were too full for dessert (a small selection brought in from Caputo’s). One in our party ordered a double espresso.
It was unanimous. Everything about our meal was perfect, from the service to the food. The absolute only disappointment was that there were no aged steaks available for us. What they had were not yet aged enough. Is that poor planning for a Saturday? I’d think that they’d stagger the aging to ensure that aged steak is always an option, but I know nothing about the restaurant business other than what I’ve learned from the folks on this board. The bill came to $340 before tip. The steaks were $137 and $116 if memory serves.
Because they are cooking the steaks Pittsburgh style in the pizza oven, they are no longer serving pizza. We were invited in the back to see the steaks cooking in the oven.
There’s an air of excitement among the staff and the patrons. They’re not answering the phones for the time being. While I was there, I made a reservation for a friend for August 27. The book was empty for the end of the month, particularly weeknights. Stop by to get your reservation on the books!
Bonus: As we left, we noticed a cooler filled with complimentary beer for those who are waiting for their tables. A nice touch!
