Restaurant Openings This Month
Rumfish Grille brings sustainable seafood to Bridgeville, star chef Matthew Porco's Sienna Sulla Piazza finds a home in Market Square and much more.
>> Eat light — and bright! — with this delicious apple cashew salad, full of crisp and crunchy favorites. Featuring fresh baby spinach, Macintosh apples, whole cashews and a sweet homemade vinaigrette, you’ll find this healthy treat at Bartram House Bakery. You can also experiment with seasonal flavors at home: Top your salads with nectarines, goat cheese and pine nuts.
(4120 Washington Road, McMurray, 724/260-0702; 2000 Village Run Road, Wexford, 724/719-2442, bartramhousebakery.com)
— Kate Chynoweth
Osteria 100
Last year, the team behind Cioppino and Osteria 2350 was keeping an eye out for new ventures, when it found a perfect spot on Point Park University’s campus. It created Osteria 100, expected to open June 7. Osteria 100, which serves lunch and dinner, “fuses” both brands, offering hits from its parent restaurants like rigatoni and pork panini. What’s more, 100 will unveil new daily specials, courtesy of chef di cucina Matt McClelland. While the eatery isn’t owned by Point Park, its location couldn’t be better for downtown sightseers.
(100 Wood St., downtown; 412/586-7743, osteria100pittsburgh.com)
Sienna Sulla Piazza
Distinguished local chef Matthew Porco, formerly of Mio Kitchen & Wine Bar, received a few of our Best Restaurants awards (including 2010 Chef of the Year). Not surprisingly, buzz has been building about Sienna Sulla Piazza, a new Italian eatery situated in Market Square that will feature the chef’s work. Sienna, one of few regional eateries that received certification from the Green Restaurant Association, strives to provide diners with an exceptional experience. The menu includes such dishes as pasta fagioli and tomato risotto. If you were a Mio fan, it looks like you’re in luck.
(22 Market Square, downtown; 412/281-6363, siennapgh.com)
Rumfish Grille
Similar to Verde and Salt of the Earth, the team behind Rumfish has continually tweeted progress in the months leading up to its much-anticipated grand opening. Expert restaurateurs Chet Garland and Paul Tebbets of Toast! Kitchen & Wine Bar (one of our 25 Best Restaurants) are working with Clint Pohl and Felix Fukui on this venture. Their goal? Bring seasonal, sustainable seafood to Bridgeville in a relaxing atmosphere. For that reason, they’ll work with several providers to ensure that they’re getting the best products (salmon, tuna and more). Rumfish will have an outdoor patio that can accommodate a maximum of 1,000 people at its summertime Sunday pig roasts and other outdoor events. Speaking of summer, Tebbets hopes to wrap up everything in time for a July 1 opening.
(1155 Washington Pike, Bridgeville; rumfishpgh.com)
Hometown-Homegrown at the Sen. John Heinz History Center
As an institution known for cataloguing all sorts of age-old regional relics, the Sen. John Heinz History Center probably isn’t the first venue you’d expect to host a grand foodie event. But it totally is: On June 23, the Center will present Hometown-Homegrown, a gathering that blends fine fare with history (docents will be at various exhibits explaining how food was prepared here in the past). Watch famed local chefs like Chris Fennimore in action, sample goods from businesses like Breadworks or check out the cookie judging, wherein a panel will critique cookies baked by Priory Fine Pastries chefs (who used recipes submitted by the general public). One thing’s for sure: After learning about Pittsburgh’s culinary history, you’ll really appreciate your next Primanti’s sandwich.
(1212 Smallman St., Strip District; 412/454-6000, heinzhistorycenter.org; 10 a.m.-3 p.m., June 23)
Photo by Laura Petrilla
