| rev:text
| - notion is definitely the best fine dining experience I have had thus far in Pittsburgh. At the recommendation of one of my friends, I made a reservation for dinner there with my wife last night. I can honestly say that our evening there was flawless. From the moment we arrived, to the moment we left, we experienced nothing short of an exceptional experience.
First - the physical space itself. We loved the simple, clean lines of the restaurant. As we continued through our meal, we commented on the beautiful accents and neatness of the place amongst ourselves. Few restaurants manage to achieve an uncluttered space which complements the culinary experience offered - notion nails this. While the PPG review "docks" the restaurant for this simplicity and economy of decorations, we rather enjoyed the simplicity, as there was nothing to detract from our enjoyment of the meal and of each others' conversation for the evening. The only piece missing was music to match the space and food - we heard Foo Fighters and Radiohead (which I love) when subtle ambient music or soft modern jazz would have likely paired better with the cuisine and mood. Some soft cutting-edge music would really complement the experience here!
Second - service. We were greeted warmly upon our arrival by Ian, our waiter for the evening. He was hospitable, courteous, and attended to our every need. He provided an excellent description for each and every component of the individual courses as they were expertly served. Small details of superlative service were obvious throughout the evening - new utensils magically appeared in-between each course without breaking the flow of our conversation; freshly pressed napkins were provided with a smile if a napkin happened to fall to the floor; our glasses never reached the bottom and were always replenished at the right time. These details are one of the major things that separate a restaurant like notion from others. What a great experience!
Third - the cuisine. Ah, the cuisine... Like others who have provided reviews for notion, we found the Chef's Tasting to be incredible. We almost always go for this option when available, so we can see for ourselves what the Chef's vision is. Our experience last night was no exception - this team certainly impressed us by their use of a broad variety of quality ingredients and techniques to express themselves in beautiful dishes throughout the tasting. Emulsions, foams, powders, pickling, and I suspect sous vide are techniques which were well demonstrated in our meal, and at an extremely high level. What I most enjoyed about our meal was the persistent use of the concept of contrasts - the cool, smooth sweet fennel custard that was served with the warm, savory chive soup was my personal favorite. Every single dish we ate, from the amuse bouche to the two desserts exhibited the beautiful interplay of contrasts in each bite, much to our pleasure.
I am excited to continue visiting notion from time to time to see the seasonal variations in how this amazing team continues to express its vision. Certainly, I expect to make this establishment my 'go-to' when family and friends are in town and wish to savor the finest Pittsburgh has to offer!
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