Chris Bonfili Opens Restaurant in Shadyside

Chris Bonfili left the Red Room Cafe in East Liberty in April of 2008, ready to pursue his dream of opening his own restaurant. After more than 18 months of planning and searching for the right space, he and his wife Jennifer plan to open Avenue B to the public next weekend. The restaurant name is a combination of the owners' (B for Bonfili) and the restaurant's location on Centre Avenue in Shadyside, which was previously occupied by the Istanbul Grille.

Chef Bonfili described the restaurant, which will be BYOB, as an "unfussy bistro" that will serve "globally-inspired new American cuisine" -- a place where sashimi and risotto both find a home, but probably not on the same plate. There will be a small menu of staple dishes, which will change seasonally, along with daily chalkboard specials. For now Avenue B will be open for dinner only, but Bonfili plans to add lunch in the future; call for information about the reservation policy. Avenue B, 5501 Centre Avenue, 412-683-FOOD (3663)

Kaya Adds Brunch

Not long ago, the Strip District was absolutely deserted on Sundays. These days, so many businesses are open that it's almost as hard to find parking on a Sunday as on Saturday (though the byeweek might have had something to do with that last weekend.

For anyone who hasn't checked out the Strip on a Sunday morning, here's another great reason: Kaya is now serving brunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The brunch menu includes plenty of old favorites, such as the Cuban sandwich, the crispy fish tacos and the Yucatan black bean dip, but our server encouraged us, and I encourage you, to try one of the new brunch only items. The menu is still evolving, but I'd bet that the dished we tried hang out for a little while (at least I hope they do!).

The Kaya Benedict  ($12) substituted cornbread for the English muffin and pork loin (with other options, including soy sausage) for the Candian bacon. The hollandaise sauce was flavored with smoked pepper and the poached eggs were cooked to perfection -- egg yolks thickened, but not yet solid.

I fell hard for the South American omelette ($9), which enfolds diced pork loin (miraculously still moist), roasted anaheim peppers, black eye peas and manchego cheese in fluffy folds of egg. Egg dishes come with grilled pineapple (get a double-order for an extra $2, it's worth it) and some delectable potatoes.

They have some fun brunch cocktails on the menu as well, like the Vampiro, their take on a bloody mary with tequila, fresh grapefruit juice and a dash of lime; and the Belgian Waffle Martini with Sortilege maple whiskey, Kahlua and Frengelica.