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| - What?!?!?! Pittsburgh!
Astonished, rejuvenated, and falling in love. I grew up in Pittsburgh and moved to Los Angeles to return for a visit 6+ years later and find real cocktails, brilliant modernist cuisine, and fresh/local fare. Bravo! Salt-of-the-earth was deeply impressive, nationally competitive with similar but twice as expensive gems in New York, San Francisco, Portland, and Los Angeles, and clearly a totally new vision for food in the city. They know their shit, I didn't see many other rye based cocktails or bottles of Creme de Yvette on the shelves in other near by establishments, nor would I have expected to. I also didn't see soba served with steak, or foams, snails, smears, sous-vide..... Salt is definitely leading a charge for cuisine change.
The building is also beautifully renovated and lit so that being in the space is comfortable and cheerful. It provides a sense of community with long tables and open space, but the sound in the room doesn't echo or inundate. It makes for a great relaxing and belly warming three hour event when you meet your favorite friends, take your time, start with cocktails and finish cheese. I wish all dinner was this visually inspiring, creatively prepared, and appetite fulfilling. Delicious. Delightful.
If you're yet to go to the establishment or the city, I'd read this recent New York Times article: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/27/travel/27headsup-pittsburgh.html. Don't get confused with the production "Salt-of-the-Earth" which I must say is the historic gritty visual that I think Pittsburgh typically evokes: http://theater.nytimes.com/2010/09/23/theater/reviews/23orange.html. They didn't drop the Pittsburgh visual entirely though, I love the little gritty local additions that did make it into the restaurant, like the heavily tattooed kitchen team, the giant chalkboard menu, and the only-here offerings like Venison tartare.
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