Whew, when is this guy going to start getting lazy, to start calling it in, to start farming out the time behind the stove to lesser, workaday, unemotionally invested chefs who don't cook with heart, passion and a sincere desire to show off his--or their--remarkable culinary chops? When will he rest on his soft, no doubt ample bed of laurels and just spend night after night lazily swiping credit cards for food that no longer matches the inspired fare he has served up for the first years of this jewel's existence? Well, I can assure you that that day was not 12/27/17.
The maestro is still up to his same stunning tricks of churning out one remarkable course after another. And as noted in previous reviews here and elsewhere, what I admire most about the man's talents is his restraint. Explain, you say? Well, have you ever seen the mid-80's movie "Amadeus" and the scene where the king tells Mozart that his new opera contains "too many notes" and suggests the boy genius remove a few of said superfluous notes? [Review intermission: The king is sort of a dufus, which his criticism of Mozart indicates, and the critique's absurdity is driven home by Mozart's startlingly brash reply of, "Really? And which notes would you suggest?"...or something like that. Now, the know-nothing king was wrong, so that part of the analogy doesn't apply to this review, but you know what I'm saying, right? You do? Awesome. You don't? Damn. That's on me. I'm one martini-deep at this point. I thank you for your understanding and apologize for using an analogy that falls apart mid-analogy.]
Well, Chef Joseph never, ever has "too many notes" in his dishes, and therein lies his brilliance. Last night's entrees--a special that night--were a first for us there: Duck confit. Lordy, what a culinary coup it was. Duck is tricky, as you may know. It needs balanced by something sweet and something savory, as you know. I'm being pretentious, pedantic and condescending, as you know. Forgive me. I'm really just a coarse, know-nothing pretender. But man, did he just NAIL IT with the gnocchi and cherries in a reduction that, had we not been seated in prime viewing area, I'd have lapped up like a doltish cow. (Excuse the redundancy, because let's face it, cows look doltish even before those undulating tongues make an appearance.)
If you're still with me (much thanks to both of you), trust me. Eat here! Get the stuffed banana peppers. Eat them. Cry with gratitude while you eat them. Reminisce about the experience immediately after while your tongue is still gloriously ablaze. Get the buffalo mozzarella salad. If you have tears left after the banana peppers, cry those, too. Then let your eyes roll back in your head like Quint's shark [movie reference #2...c'mon work with me...or IMDB it] while eating whatever entree you order.
The service is always perfect. Always. The mixed drinks are crafted with a hand that goes heavy on the pouring of the main alcoholic ingredient, in my case gin. The "wines by the glass" options are many.
That all said, I give this place 2 out of 5 stars. Okay, just seeing if anyone is still reading this drivel. I give it 7 out of 5, but only because I had to say "no mushrooms" when ordering the sublime confit. I mean, why anyone eats mushrooms...Oh wait, it's just me? (Told you you I was a coarse, culinary cretin.) In that case, 8 out of 5.
Seriously folks, this place is the goods. We live near DC and we eat at Chef Joe T's every time we come to Pittsburgh. It's remarkably consistent in its excellence and always a highlight of our trips to Pittsburgh.
I strongly urge you to eat here. Repeatedly. Sure, I care about your dining satisfaction, but more so because I'm selfish and want Tambellini's to stay in business until I check out of this mortal coil [his pretentiousness continues to the end!]...and if I keep downing those heavenly martinis at Tambellini's, that might be within the next six months.