May 30 2009
Every day thousands of people commute to downtown via the Fifth and Forbes Uptown corridor. A good portion of those people would probably stop for coffee along that way if there were somewhere to do so easily. At least that's what Matt Hoover and Chip Fetrow are hoping. At their new cafe, Asylum Coffee Bar, which will open sometime in July, they plan to have curbside service for morning commuters, making it that much easier to get your morning caffeine fix.
But as the name Asylum suggest, Hoover and Fetrow also want to attract plenty of "for here" customers to their industrial-chick cafe. With exposed bricks, a corrugated metal and poured concrete bar, a large flat-screen television and a wall-mounted gas fireplace, it looks more like an edgy bar than a cafe. "We just wanted to have fun with it," said Hoover, who describes the vibe they hope to create as "fun, laid back and not pretentious."
But Asylum isn't all style. They're using a Nuovo Simonelli Grinder and espresso machine and beans from local Iron Star Roasting Company (the roasting wing of Coffee Tree). Sandwiches, scones and other edibles will be provided by Mirabelle Restaurant in Oakmont.
On a gloriously sunny Saturday morning, at a small preview party for neighbors, friends and people in the coffee community, Asylum was buzzing with young professionals, who looked right at home, perched at stools along the counter sipping cappuccinos and espressos and nibbling miniature roast chicken sandwiches with tomatoes and asparagus and buttery lemon scones.
They're working on getting permits approved for a sidewalk patio, but with the glass garage door open to the street, it was already a bright spot on the industrial blankness of Forbes Avenue.
May 15 2009
Folks in Highland Park and beyond are tickled at today's news that the owners of Point Brugge Cafe in Point Breeze plan to open a version of that cozy dining spot in Highland Park. The new bistro, at the 5801 Bryant St. at the corner of Bryant and North St. Clair St., will be called Park Bruges Cafe. Jesse and Amy Seager expect to open late this year or early next in a building that is part of a redevelopment effort that broke ground today.
It's too early to get hungry yet, but the Seagers say the menu "will focus on fresh, high quality ingredients presented in classic bistro-style dishes. The choice of restaurant name is indicative of our approach to the menu. There will be some familiar (if not identical) items, along with new and interesting choices. The setting will be light, open and inviting, creating a friendly neighborhood gathering spot."
They say it will seat 60 to 65 guests, "which is slightly larger than Point Brugge," and have a small patio for outside dining, and will be open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Tues. through Sat., with brunch on Sat. and Sun.
"Early on, we realized that Highland Park was an excellent location for a second restaurant," they wrote in a news release. "We appreciate the encouragement and support from the Highland Park Community Development Corporation and other local public figures, most notably Sen. Jim Ferlo. It will be a challenging year, but we hope to be serving you soon at Park Bruges Café."
For more, see Diana Nelson Jones' Walkabout blog.
-- Bob Batz Jr.
May 05 2009
While Los Chiludos is a year old, I didn't hear about it until last week, when chef/owner Jose Lemus sent me an e-mail, so I'm betting other interested diners haven't heard of it either. Lemus was previously the chef at Azul Bar Y Cantina, a bright spot among a sea of mediocre Mexican food.
Los Chiludos means "The Big Pepper" and is located in Canonsburg, PA. So far, it's garnered raves on Yelp and Urbanspoon, with diners praising the "warm and engaging" owners and the "fabulous" food, especially the salsas, the carnitas and a chile rellenos special, as well as the chilango burrito ($8.35), which is one of Mr. Lemus' favorites.
A few other interesting options include sopes ($7.35), a traditional dish made from small disks formed from masa and topped with beans, meat and vegetables, and grilled tuna ($9.45) or breaded cod ($8.95) tacos with red cabbage and mango salsa.
Los Chiludos is BYOB.