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 DINNER AND THE MOVIES
Joyce Barbieri puts it bluntly: "Our decor is our passion. We both love old films." So the walls of P.J. Brown's are covered with glossies and posters from old movies, going back to the '20s and '30s. You can remember Helen Hayes and Gary Cooper in "Farewell to Arms" as you plunge into your spinach pasta Capra. (Yes, even some entrees have movie-connected names.) Or recall Myrna Loy in "Last of the Mohicans" as you cut into the chicken a la Casablanca. Barbieri loves antiques, too. So we're not surprised at the flapper-style fringe on some of the lampshades, the old wooden high chair against the wall, and the mismatched pieces of china from long ago used for our dinners. Even the old, straight wooden booths along one wall in the center dining room of P.J. Brown's were rescued from the basement. His Honor wishes they hadn't bothered. All during dinner he's been squirming and complaining about his hard seat. But he's not complaining about the food. Or the wine. The wine list isn't big, but it's reasonable - six whites and eight reds, including a couple of Italian wines - and it's reasonably priced. A bottle of $19.95 St. Michelle sauvignon blanc from Washington is $21.95, the Fetzer Eagle's Peak merlot from the same year is $20. His salmon has a honey mustard glaze, brown and crisp on top from the broiler, and garnished with caramelized red onions. That was a better choice than my grilled sea scallops with basil cream sauce, served on squid ink pasta. With the black pasta and the scallops in a line across the top, it looks intriguing (even in the dim lights of the dining room) but it's bland. I can't detect a basil taste at all. No taste of squid ink in the pasta, either. Barbieri's husband and co-owner of P.J. Brown's, Ed Peffer, is also the chef. He learned to cook on his own and from working with chefs here after the couple took over the restaurant in the early 1980s. Much of what he does is quite good. We've enjoyed the veal Florentine, made with breaded veal cutlet, fresh spinach, mushrooms and onions, although we wondered why breading is needed in a dish like this. It detracts from the tender veal. And we liked the chicken a la Casablanca, an unusual dish with boneless chicken breasts, raisins and dates. Every night there is a selection of special entrees, appetizers and soups. Peffer is at his best with soups. Clam bisque is not heavy, just a little creamy and with a touch of red pepper. Potato onion has small chunks of potato, onion and a sprinkling of parsley in a light broth. If you want an appetizer, typical choices are steamed Maine mussels, marinated artichoke hearts and stuffed hot peppers. We went with the oh-so-trendy polenta with mushrooms, and red pepper sauce on the side. It's OK, but I kept thinking the wedge of polenta would have had more flavor if it had been pan-fried. All salad dressings are made in the restaurant kitchen. The thick honey mustard dressing is so popular the kitchen also sells it separately. Other good choices are the orange balsamic, which has a touch of honey, and the raspberry vinaigrette, made with fresh raspberries. Salads vary from day to day, but they always have walnuts in with the greens. They also have too much iceberg lettuce for me. What a shame, when you think of all those gardens around Saltsburg that must have nice fresh green leaf lettuce at this time of year. P.J. Brown's is a good place to go off your diet and have dessert. Every night there's a selection, all made in-house. The Key lime pie is the traditional one, yellow in color, a little tart, and with a graham cracker crust. Raspberry linzertorte also is a traditional version, with a rich, cookie-like crust, raspberry filling and lattice top. Our serving was piled with whipped cream studded with strawberry slices. P.J. Brown's draws diners from Indiana, Greensburg, Murrysville, and Pittsburgh. That's not too surprising, because there is no other restaurant around quite like it. Call it quaint or call it quirky; it's different. It's also in a pretty little Indiana County town, worth a summer drive itself. Barbieri and Peffer were working in the theater in New York City when they got the chance to come to Saltsburg, his home town, and take over the business. Brown is a family name; Peffer's grandfather, Clark E. Brown, once was quite the man-about-Saltsburg, she says. Owner of about eight buildings in town, he was known for the white suit and vest he fancied. The "P" and the "J" in the restaurant name are for Peffer and Joyce. At one time, the building was a hotel, so they have plenty of space to expand. For now there are three dining rooms, one that is no-smoking, one that's a bar and dining area, and a middle room, paneled in dark wood, with small tables and those fanny-numbing booths. But movie memorabilia is everywhere. Some of it came from the old Casino theater in Vandergrift, some from a trunk that belonged to the Barrymore family of theater fame, but most of it from Barbieri's collection of movie photos and posters. P.J. Brown's is worth a look - a lot of looks.
P.J. Brown's
-- Review by Woodene Merriman, Post-Gazette Dining Critic
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Hours:
Tuesday through Saturday, 5-11 p.m.