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| - As we increasingly become a culture of startups, it makes sense that the culinary world should be no exception. To this end, Smallman Galley is Pittsburgh's very first chef/restaurant incubator. What a great concept! I definitely share other reviewers' enthusiasm for it.
They've got some really nice cocktails and a very solid (rotating) selection of beers on tap. This place is KILLER for happy hours! Half off all cocktails, beer, and wine. Yes please!
I love the space as well, although it did get a bit crowded near the bar (where the space is kind of narrow). It's got that rustic chic look, with reclaimed wood and exposed brick walls, that many newer Pittsburgh bars and restaurants are picking up.
Food wise, my partner and I tried the banh mi and the burger from Provision. The burger was solid, cooked well, but pretty basic. It wasn't anything to write home about. The banh mi had nice flavors, but I was not into the chicken skin concept. I wanted to give it a try, because I actually really enjoy crispy, well-seasoned chicken skin (you know, with my chicken meat). The chicken skin that was on this banh mi was too crunchy and soaked with oil ... it tasted like it had been re-fried with oil. The oil flavor was just too intense, and in my opinion there was simply too much of the skin. I feel like regular shredded chicken or pork would have been great with the rest of the flavors of the banh mi. I'm not weighting the specific experience we had with Provision too heavily towards this rating, though, since it's only one of the four restaurants being incubated, and the selection of restaurants will rotate.
I look forward to returning to Smallman Galley to try some of the other food. Probably during happy hour!
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