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| - Sausalido attempts to be a quaint Mediterranean bistro.
I believe the intimate atmosphere accommodates that very well, and the service is admirable. It is a good place to take a date, which I did (pimpin aint easy, I know). From there, the maitre d is accommodating with the corkage and you can let all your conversational juices flow over a nice glass of red wine.
The staff likes to give appetizers on the house, which are generally delicious. I found several other appetizers to be well prepared, but very basic. I believe one was akin to a cheesy baked potato with bacon. Those are always tasty, but I could make that when I was a culinary challenged college student.
My main course was a simple seafood and veggie pasta a la oligio. It seemed a bit bland, and would have probably been better with fresh cracked black pepper, some truffle salt, and shredded Gruyere. When a restaurant is trying to convey an attitude of beauty through simplicity, the utmost attention must be given to a dish to justify its price point. Yes, pasta is simple, but there needs to be a delicate balance of high quality flavors to make the simple into elegant.
I still enjoyed the experience, but feel Sausalido is encountering the troubles that I see of other up and coming Pgh restaurants. They are trying to be something through their image, but not accounting for the details which bring it to life. You can get away with that in Pgh, but it wouldn't fly in a larger city.
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