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| - Here's what we liked most: The chef, generally (his name is Keith). You should go and eat his food. There are flavors and textures here (e.g., pork belly with rice crispy treat and coconut puree) that you probably haven't had in your mouth, ever. With the exception of watermelon and feta, Root's food is very creative (but also thoughtful and well edited). And if the changing menu is somehow "nothing new for you," you'll still be pleasantly surprised with how the chef and his cooks execute and present top-notch product.
We also liked the seasonally-minded menu that made us feel adventurous AND comfy at the same time. You can tell what "summer" should taste like, and that's a great thing to see in menu planning. I expect that kind of thinking to continue into fall and winter. I'm excited to eat here again soon, and several times throughout the coming year.
The chef is friendly, makes the rounds with patrons, and the front-of-house knows the product and respects the chef without being too obnoxious about it.
The waitstaff was attentive without getting underfoot. I like their matching aprons, and the fact they replace flatware after each course.
We liked their locally-sourced cheese on an excellent cheese plate.
We liked their savory lemonade, which was perfect for summer.
We liked that they didn't charge for split plates (or half-orders, we hope), which encourages eating across the menu, something you should definitely do here because If you only order an entree, you're doing yourself an injustice.
And we liked that the chef was not afraid to serve an entree in a bowl.
Here's what we liked least: The waitstaff calling the food "sexy," which is SO Top Chef Season 4. Please, don't call food "sexy." Also, if you're pointing close to our food, and telling us what's on the plate as you point, make sure your nails look good, particularly if you're a man. Man up and get a manicure, or don't point so close. When pointing is "almost touching" you're pointing way too close to my food anyway.
Also, with competing flavors and diverse proteins on a small menu, I would really love Root NOT to be BYOB (gasp!). If they can afford the license, they ought to try wine by the glass and rotate wines with their menu, and even offer pairing suggestions. I know how people in Pittsburgh love BYOB (and hotdogs), but I love the right wine with the right dish, and that's tough with this kind of menu in a BYOB. So if you're a group of three or four or more (and you like wine at all), bring whites AND reds of different bodies.
We'd also like it if you could please find out who on your staff has the BEST handwriting and have them write the specials on the board. As it was, the specials were tough to read, the penmanship was sloppy, and the board itself looked out of place.
Root has also installed a gorgeous wood bar in the back of the space that seemingly no one would see unless they went looking for it. I'm not sure what this bar is for, since they don't serve booze, but it seems wasted right now; for example, we watched waitstaff stand behind it and polish glasses as the night wore on, which was fine. But can I eat dinner at the bar or what? What's the bar doing back there? Am I supposed to wait there if I'm waiting for a table? I don't know. No one told me.
Some things you should know about Root ahead of time, and get over: Like Legume before it, the space is still small and noisy. It's also hot in the summer (even with AC), and will be drafty in the winter (even with the heat on). For the love of God, expect it. You're going to come here to eat noteworthy, memorable food, not to speak in hushed tones about your rash in a climate-controlled box. Also, the decor is still generally lacking in charm (at least it didn't charm us). Almost everything is brown or brownish, and yet nothing seems to match anything else. The waitstaff match each other, but clash with the chef (who was out of coat that night). The walls themselves are still bare and painted brown with a sea sponge, which was admittedly kinda cool, but in the 90s. In short, the inside of Root, and whatever personality it's trying to express to the customer, is still not so very clear.
But whoa is this restaurant still phenomenal, and it's only a week old. We will give Root some time to straighten out its personality, but we will also keep eating here in the meantime. We recommend that you try to eat here as soon as you possibly can.
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