The decor of Butcher and the Rye is really beautiful. Probably one of the best designed places in Pittsburgh. It's rustic yet hip and welcoming for dinner or just drinks at the bar.
I made a reservation for 5:30pm, totally forgot about the insanity of downtown traffic on a weekday and got there are 5:50. The host was gracious and accommodating to this bump in the road. The only odd thing was that as soon as I got there, the waiter asked me what I wanted to eat. There were several empty tables around me that didn't get filled until our dining experience was over (around 7:30) so I didn't understand what the rush was. Other than that oddity, our waiter was very pleasant.
I ordered the potato leek soup and the scallops entree. My dining partner ordered the Monkfish "Osso Bucco". I was very much impressed with the potato leek soup. The soup was accompanied by cheesy tater tots, confit bacon and a cute thinly sliced piece of toast. The plate came out only with the accompaniments on them as the servers beautifully poured the soup around it. Fancy, huh? And so delicious. The confit bacon is really incredible. If I had done some better thinking I would have ordered two soups and called it a night.
I ordered the scallops dished based on many reviews here that I've read on Yelp. It definitely did not disappoint. I was torn between this and the monkfish, but this was surely the more heartier dish. The scallops, risotto, and asparagus were executed well but in general this dish did not wow me. That's not to say that it wasn't delicious but for me a dish like this looses points for originality. The flavors were pretty standard.
At the end of the meal I was pretty stuffed, but I'd love to come back for dessert (and more soup).