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Thursday, August 15, 2002

By Marlene Parrish

e are taking a stroll along and about East Carson Street on the South Side, where you will find ethnic and American restaurants, diners, bars and eateries on every block.

To help you decide where to go, we've checked out the restaurants from A to Z -- Abruzzi's to Zenith Tea Room. For fun, we asked restaurant owners where they go to eat when they need a break.

	Click to download a 162K .pdf map of the South Side with links to these capsule reviews. You must have Adobe Acrobat Reader to view the file, available as a free download from Adobe. (Steve Thomas, Post-Gazette illustration)

Sorry if we missed your favorite. So much to eat, so little space. (The number in parentheses corresponds to location on the map.)

Abruzzi's (1)
52 S. 10th St.
412-431-4511
Old-timers will remember Sarah's Restaurant at the end of the 10th Street Bridge, where Serbian and Eastern European food was cooked and served by Sarah Evosevich. Abruzzi's has been in the space for nine years. Owner Tony Masci, whose family is from Abruzzi on the Adriatic Sea, is most proud of his seafood, red sauce, gnocchi and cannelloni on the extensive Italian menu. A plaque on the door brags that inside is the smallest bar in the 'Burgh (three seats), but the dining rooms seat 130. The warm welcome and happy laughter of this comfortable family style restaurant sets the tone for our restaurant tour of the South Side.

Kassab's Restaurant (2)
1001 E. Carson St.
412-381-1820
Lebanese cuisine and lots of it distinguish this modest restaurant at 10th and Carson. For seven years, owner Antoine Kassab has served up generous portions of lemony garlic chicken and potatoes, baked kibbee, moussaka and tabbouleh. First-timers can order dishes to share family-style. Long-timers prefer to say, "Hey, just bring us some food." Tony will laugh and proudly bring on the lamb shanks, the fish of the day with tahini sauce, or malfoof, a sort of stuffed cabbage. Don't judge Kassab's by its plain-Jane looks. Kassab cooked at Le Mont for five years before deciding to stir up his own specialties.

Carol Stilley, left, and Harvey Zeve lunch on the patio at Cafe du Jour. (Martha Rial, Post-Gazette)

Cafe du Jour (3)
1107 E. Carson St.
412-488-9695
A patio in Sicily might be surrounded by a forest of vines, shaded by a low-branched tree, bedecked with roses, cooled by a fountain in a pond and studded with sculpture. Cafe du Jour has just such a sweet oasis. Paul Krawiec and Dan Robinson opened their tiny restaurant, so reminiscent of the Old World, last February. The kitchen serves a laid-back eclectic Mediterranean menu with a San Franciscan sensibility. Best Bets: corncakes with smoked salmon, cucumbers and lemon horseradish cream; eggplant roll stuffed with sun-dried tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella, basil and onion confit; herb-baked polenta with Mediterranean ratatouille. And yes, Macho Man, you can get a New York Strip Steak, too. When the guys are tired of cooking, they catch lunch at Kassab's. Paul hails from the Bay Area and, like many Pittsburgh chefs, followed his sweetheart to Pittsburgh, where she is a second-year med student at Pitt. On rainy days, sit in the cozy inside dining room. BYOB and cash only.

Cafe Allegro (4)
51 S. 12th St.
412-481-7788
In the interests of full disclosure, I confess that this is my favorite hangout in Pittsburgh. Top 10 reasons: never-forget-a-name staff, attentive but not in-your-face service, Mediterranean menu with temptations such as Risotto Funghetto and Manicotti Matisse, bartenders who know how to make a drink, interesting wines, mini sparkly bar lights, comfortable tables and chairs, low music and good acoustics, convenient parking and the best grilled calamari west of Marseille. Judging from the award plaques lining the walls, I share this preference with tons of others. Partners Antoinette Cardamone and Joe Nolan know all the tricks to keeping this informal eatery a consistent winner. When you go, regardless of appetite, do NOT miss the Red Pepper Summer Soup -- it's divine.

Club Cafe (5)
56 S. 12th St.
412-431-4950
Hot-spot alert! A select audience (you know who you are) will go for this hip cocktail lounge with its live eclectic music on stage every doggoned evening. The mix of national and local acts ranges from acoustic guitar to rock 'n' roll. Seen of late, Jill Sobule (an alternative pop rock songstress), singer Bill Deasy, New Invisible Joy and a Celtic group, the Wild Geese. The menu, with a Cafe Allegro touch, is a mix of pizzas, salads, excellent spinach-artichoke dip and sandwiches made on Allegro Hearth Bakery breads.

Old Europe (6)
1209-1211 E. Carson St.
412-488-1700
If you don't know anyone of Eastern European heritage, you don't know any real Pittsburghers. This is us; this is our food. The menu's geography includes Ukrainian borscht, salad Russe, Bulgarian grapeleaves, Ukrainian dumplings, flamed Greek Kefalotyri cheese, Transylvanian strudel (must be consumed before sunrise), Dalmatian shrimp, chicken Kiev and Romanian duckling. The moussaka's heritage claims the entire Balkan region -- Bulgaria, Greece, Macedonia, Serbia and Turkey. All dishes are enhanced by a basket of Old Europe's warm, homemade pita bread. The handsome service plates and handwoven fabrics, even the shirts on the servers, were brought home via suitcase from Bulgaria on frequent visits to family. These authentic connections are thanks to owners Jerome Jocuns and Nick Jordanoff, whose dad, Nick Sr., headed the Tamburitzans at Duquesne University for some 30 years.

	Antoine Kassab, owner of Kassab's at 10th and East Carson streets, dishes up his own versions of Lebanese classics. (Martha Rial, Post-Gazette)

The Pickle Barrel (7)
1301 E. Carson St.
412-431-1114
Thirty-four years at this location make the Barrel one of oldest of the old-timers. Al Steiner owned the original Pickle Barrel on the North Side. When Martin Luther King Jr. was shot, rioting hooligans prevented him from entering his restaurant, so he moved to the South Side. Brian Davis bought the Barrel from Steiner four years ago. Unbelievably, they deliver breakfasts starting at 6:30 a.m., mostly to local companies but also to homes as far away as Mount Washington. The big seller is the Pickle Barrel Mess: two eggs scrambled WITH bacon, sausage, home fries, onions, peppers, tomatoes and two kinds of cheese. OK, it does look like a big mess, but it's delicious. Davis' other contribution to the diner-style menu is the Real Pittsburgh Hot dog -- a foot-long hot dog with gold Cheddar cheese, black olives and a scribble of honey mustard. Chuck Nagel, who owns The Glazing Pot across the street, made the pickle-themed ceramics featured in the window.

Beehive Coffee House (8)
East Carson and 14th streets
412-488-4483
A "work-free smoke-place" at this location since 1991. The devoted clientele runs to artists, locals and free spirits, a high percentage of whom display intricate tattoos, multiple piercings and novelty hair -- or none at all. They congregate to sip espressos and munch muffins while they play board games, read or surf the Internet. Andy Warhol would have loved it. Owners Scott Kramer and Steve Zumoff are tuned to the needs of the Street and also amuse the locals at Lava Lounge, a live-band bar that alternates with D.J. nights, at 2204 E. Carson. The paint is hardly dry at a their brand-new Tiki Lounge (24), Pittsburgh's new home for island drinks at 2003 E. Carson St.

Starbucks Coffee (9)
East Carson and 14th streets
412-381-7183
"I'll have an iced, de-caf, venti (20-ounce), hazelnut, vanilla, soy, three sugar-in-the-raw with two extra shots of expresso latte, please." Lounge on a comfy, overstuffed couch near the window wall and watch the immediate world and "other worldly" go by. Starbucks is so customer-friendly, you could stay the afternoon to read the Sunday newspapers. Supervisor Megan Slinden and her crew, all pretty college gals, take their lunch breaks at The Pickle Barrel, and in the evening, they scoot across the street to Cambodican, a permanent food trailer where Dan-the-roofer and his Cambodian wife sell their Asian specialties.

Mike and Tony's Shish Kabob & Gyros (10)
1414 E. Carson St.
412-431-2299
After 30 years under the previous ownership, the shop is now run by owners George and Mary Makripodis. This might be the smallest eatery on the street, and it's surely the one that works the hardest. The wee all-Greek workingman's den is sincere and authentic, if not pretty. Enter the spare dining room via an entrance that takes you near enough to the rotating gyro cones to inhale their seductive aromas.

Grecianland Cafe & Pastries (12)
1500 E. Carson St.
412-381-7770
Homemade Greek specialties include all those unpronounceable pastries along with a simple daily dinner special, which might be pastitsio, spinach pies or grape leaves. See the blue and white Greek flag proudly hung over the cash register. Party or celebration coming up? You can rent the cheerful banquet room upstairs with its fresh, hand-painted mural covering one wall. Greek catering comes with the rental deal, says owner Steve Takis.

Tuscany Cafe (11)
1501 E. Carson St.
412-488-4475
Just another coffee house? Nope, although a menu that features coffee, sandwiches and smoothies sets the tone. Sitting at a table in the window is better than being onstage. Vegetarians' favorite lunch is Vegetalie Alfresco, a garden-on-bread with creamed feta cheese washed down with a creamy Italian milkshake. The big not-so-secret draw for the Tuscany crowd is the full bar in the back of the house. On Thursday nights, which happens to be Martini Night, both televisions are tuned to "Will & Grace." Wednesday is Margarita Night -- and look out -- Saturdays, the house special is Long Island Iced Tea. Nighty-Night, you guys.

Mario's South Side Saloon (13)
1514 E. Carson St.
412-381-5610
Blue Lou's Bar and Grill (14)
1510 E. Carson St.
412-381-7675
Any menu that features jalapeno poppers, fried pickles, Texas Fry Pie, BBQ ribs and Barbed Wire Chicken certainly earns two Tums up. This dual property is part sports bar, part saloon and all landmark. In a word? Popular, especially evenings. Great bar and bar scene, private booths with a peek-a-boo balcony for the nebby.

Carson Street Deli (15)
1610 E. Carson St.
412-381-5335
The shortest version? This New York-style deli is mobbed at lunch. Almost as mobbed at all other hours. It has almost as many blue ribbon awards as it has sandwiches. And that's a lot. Locals scarf up the deli specials, appreciate the fast service and approve of the reasonable prices. Mobbed, I tell you.

The 17th Street Cafe (16)
75 S. 17th St.
412-381-4566
When Sam De Ross retired, he didn't have to look far for a new owner. Pat Joyce was his chef at the tiny cafe for eight years, and now he's ruling the roost along with his wife, Brigitte. There's a new coat of paint and a new menu, but the same cozy dining room still serves mostly Italian-American dishes. At lunch, the best seller is a Reuben sandwich, and an immense pork chop is the favorite at dinner. Art lining the walls is on consignment from La Fond Gallery around the corner.

Dish Osteria and Bar (17)
17th and Sarah streets
412-390 2012
Dish is owner Michele Savoia's first restaurant. He's a native of the south coast of Sicily, and he cooked in Bologna and New York City before coming to Pittsburgh in 1997. After working at Le Perroquet for several years, he bought McCann's, an Irish bar. Dish is a hot spot, with the bar the same size as the dining room, where the food is mostly Sicilian. The customer base is mixed, depending on the time. "The early diners are older, and the later it gets, the younger the crowd, just like New York," says Savoia, shwishing his signature pony tail. He is proud of the lamb ragout, seafood grill with saffron risotto and eggplant caponata and tuna carpaccio with caperberries. His mother-in-law is the pastry chef, and she makes a mean fruit crostata with nectarines and blueberries. His brother, Andrea, recently moved from New York to join the business. No credit cards.

Tom's Diner, South Side (18)
1715 E. Carson St.
412-488-0900
Like any good diner, Tom's is open 24/7. Owners Penny and Tony Folino recently expanded the space, so twice as many customers now can order breakfast all day, burgers and Greek dinner -- spinach pie, gyro (say yeerow) meat, tzatziki sauce, Greek salad and pita bread. Tom's sister location on West Liberty Avenue in Dormont was started 23 years ago by Penny's parents, Tom and Efi Petropoulos. At age 12, Penny nearly lived at that diner, did her homework at the counter, and learned how to cook, count change and serve, while dabbling in public relations on the side. When Tony came along, he threw in his lot for his love and joined the family. Penny flips thousands of eggs every weekend at breakfast. Tom's regulars are Steelers, judges and bankers, plus after hours, all the bands playing in the street's many clubs. One of the pickiest regulars is Phat Man Dee. And if you have to ask, well, you are out of the South Side loop. Robert Downey Jr. drew the Charlie Chaplin sketch behind the dessert cooler.

Fat Head's (19)
1805 E. Carson St.
412-431-7433
Dubya would be right at home at Fat Head's, where everybody has a nickname. Owner Glenn "Fat Head" Benigni earned his moniker in high school. Bartender Gary Pfeil answers to "Fudd" and takes naming rights for The Fuddwich, a concoction of turkey, corned beef, salami and such. Regular Lenny Wanzco has been showing up for lunches for eight years and has a sandwich named after him, too. Fat Head's specializes in great bar food, micro beers and 38 beers on tap. Look for a good solid menu featuring "Headwiches," sandwiches as big as your head, and homemade potato chips. The eatery rates the highest ratio of baseball caps to customers on the street. Excellent patio. Any of you dainty types put off by the name? Get over it.

Piper's Pub (20)
1828 E. Carson St.
412-381-3977
Another Pittsburgh classic, this independent eatery has a solid bar, loyal clientele, and an appealing menu with a nod to the British Isles. Scotch eggs, Ploughman's Lunch, English Dip, Banger Sandwich and, of course, fish 'n' chips are good midday partners. Also from across the pond: Guinness stew, shepherd's pie, toad-in-the-hole and corned beef and cabbage. One stellar attraction is a real Irish breakfast. At Sunday brunch, order plates of Irish boxty (potato pancakes), smoked salmon or a hearty English breakfast featuring baked beans, fried eggs, tomatoes and sauteed mushrooms on toast. Half-Scottish brother-owners Mike and Drew Topping say about their food, "If you don't like it, I'll buy it." It's a rare taker.

The 1889 Cafe (23)
2017 E. Carson St.
412-431-9290
This Victorian building was built in 1889, hence the name. The side windows have rippled glass, probably originals. There's nothing old about the Continental menu with Greek accents, however. Owner Demosthenes Kephalogianis, who says he flunked first grade because he couldn't spell his name fast enough, uses recipes created by his 90-year-old mother. "She taught everything to Mei, my Chinese wife," says Kephalogianis, who's been said to talk your leg off. "Now Mei is a better Greek cook than my own mother." And that would include spanakopita -- spinach pie baked in phyllo with feta cheese, spinach and garlic. She also makes the homemade paska bread and rolls. On the way out, glance up at the raised numerals on the arched centerpiece overhead.

Pittsburgh Steak Company (21)
1924 E. Carson St.
412-381-5505
A stained-glass window, a welcoming long copper bar, dark wood paneling, a swell American menu -- all solid Pittsburgh, just like the customers. "I'm a fisherman, and when I order fish, they cook it the way I like it," says Don Glies of Evans City. "I love the crab cakes, too. Write that. It's the specialty of the house." His friend Jim MacDonald of Mount Washington is a former South Side steel business exec. "We always brought clients here for lunch," says MacDonald. "I often came back with family for a dinner out. I like the Pittsburgh Steak Salad and the prime rib. Hey, I like it all." The restaurant offers steaks cooked to six stages of doneness, from Pittsburgh rare (charred outside with a red, cold center) to well-done, "absolutely not recommended" according to the menu.

Bruschetta's (22)
1831 E. Carson St.
412-431-3535
What's in a name? When owner-partners John Lewis, his brother Ed and chef Tom Rebstock designed the original menu almost six years ago, they agreed to serve a complimentary starter, bruschetta -- rounds of toasted Mancini's bread, spread with garlic butter, topped with Italian-marinated tomatoes and onions (garlic, basil, olive oil) and piled with grated fontinella cheese. They liked the ring of it, so they named their place Bruschetta. The trio recently doubled the space and added an open, bright and spacious dining room with floor-to-ceiling windows, a too-cool patio and -- the big secret to most -- an upstairs bar and private room. The big draw at lunch is the affordable Create-Your-Own-Pasta special. Dinner runs to Italian dishes, such as Veal Milanese, Cioppino and Capellini Diavolo. Chef is a whiz with fungi, so when you sight any mushroom specialty, gobble it up. Late? Good. Sit at the mica-flekked black granite bar and gawk at the lengthy wine list while street people gawk at you. And where do these sophisticates often lunch? Fat Head's.

Paparazzi (26)
2100 E. Carson St.
412-488-0800
Comb your hair and suck it in, because this handsome bar-lounge is a study in smoke and mirrors, the latter beveled at every angle and reflecting back from every wall. Owners Greg Jancofko and brothers Jay and Richard are a mix of Irish, Slovak and Italian heritage. Their northern Italian menu features lots of pasta, seafood, veal and chicken. Look for live jazz and blues bands Wednesdays through Sundays, with Thursdays featuring alternative rock for the college types. Music starts after 9:30 p.m. so that the diners upstairs aren't affected.

City Grill (25)
2019 E. Carson St.
412-431-1770
Let's sort the facts. Rich Tessaro once owned Tessaro's Restaurant in Bloomfield. In 1985, he sold the business and the name Tessaro's to the Harrington family, who currently own the popular eatery. In 1987 Rich opened City Grill, had a good run, but sold it in 1996. After a five-year absence, he bought it back last year, completely rehabbing the Grill. He tore out the front booths, installed a handsome bar and redesigned the menu -- grilled fish, steaks, ribs and chicken along with great burgers. If it's been a while since you stopped by, get back in here.

Le Pommier (27)
2104 E. Carson St.
412-431-1901
It's hard to believe that Le Pommier is 18 years old, and in all that time consistently French, genuine, quiet, unique, cozy -- and peerless in Pittsburgh. Diners come for excellent food, not entertainment or air kisses. Dining room tables are set with a rainbow of Provencal linens and mats, and lace curtains soften the windows. The decor is not a stage set but an homage to the superb French menu and wine list created by owner-chef Christine Dauber and her husband, Dr. Jim. Their frequent travels to France keep the monthly regional four-course dinner series fresh and authentic. August: Provence; September: Brittany; October: Normandie. Midday, un snack rapid, that's lunch to you, might be composed salad with herb-crusted tuna steak or a savory tart du jour. At dinner, practice your high school French with Nage d'Escargot, Pate de Campagne, Canard Exotique, Filet de Boeuf and Queue d'Homard. Want pommes (fries) with that?

Sushi Two (28)
2122 E. Carson St.
412-431-7874
All Japanese, all the time. A skylight illuminates the long bar, its refrigerated compartments stocked with fresh-cut fish and seafood for eager sushi-heads -- raw salmon, tuna, yellowtail, smoked eel and crab. If you are a sushi-sissy, try the Pittsburgh Roll: cooked shrimp, crab, avocado, asparagus and cucumber. At lunch, check out the stir-fried noodles, bento tray, crunchy tempura-battered seafood with vegetables,

and broiled specialties made with teriyaki, the sweet brown cousin to soy sauce. See the collection of small wooden boxes stacked over the bar? Cold sake is served in these containers, and after you have sipped, sign the box with your nickname, and it will be ready for you "next time." Sushi Two, along with cousins Sushi Too on Walnut Street in Shadyside and Sushi Three, coming soon to Beverly Road in Mt. Lebanon, are associated with My Thai and China Palace Restaurants.

	Waiters and bus boys, left to right, Celerino Orozco, John Florida, Raul Diaz, Luke Miller and Francisco Buxareo work the newly remodeled Spanish-style room at Mallorca on the South Side. (Martha Rial, Post-Gazette)

Mallorca Restaurant (29)
2228 E. Carson St.
412-488-1818
Owner-host Antonio Pereira also doubled his space this year. A handsome and authentic Spanish room, lined with ceramic tiles from Seville and brightened with skylights, was added to the Spanish-Portuguese restaurant. Ask for Table No. 12 by the window and look out onto the outdoor patio, recently freshened with a mural. The Basque chef is from Bilbao and his heritage shows. If you stick to the printed menu, you could miss one of his 14 tapa appetizer daily specials. A few: broiled Spanish sausage, marinated white anchovies, ham-stuffed piquillo peppers with cream sauce, mussels in green sauce, shrimp with garlic. Also find Spanish hallmarks, paella Valenciana, mariscada, gazpacho and langosta -- that's lobster to you. Private parking lot.

Vendetta Dolce (30)
133 S. 23rd St. at Jane
412-481-6445
Owner Carol Fennell was part-owner of Abruzzi's for nine years. When she decided to branch out on her own, she found an ideal location, leasing space in the mostly unused half of Jerome's Bar, a South Side mainstay for 16 years. His logo awning is on 23rd Street, hers is on Jane and they have separate entrances. The clean good looks of the handsome oak bar and back bar at Jerome's are original, as is the tin ceiling, making it an attractive and gregarious place to sit and sip if there's a wait for a table. Just through the brick arch, two contemporary dining rooms seat about 45. Chef Johan Meinke, also an alum of Abruzzi's, calls his menu Euro-American with plenty of classic Pittsburgh Italian standbys. Some stand outs are Pork Chop Fennell (of course) and Carol's Delight, a great mound of bananas, coconut, whipped cream and strawberries on a walnut crust. Lots of easy parking and a handicap ramp, too. And what's the deal with the intriguing name, Sweet Revenge? Fennell smiles, but isn't saying.

Zenith Tea Room (31)
26th and Sarah streets
412-481-4833
If your grandma was a serious pack rat, this could be her attic. A plain, small warehouse is layered, hung, draped, piled and stuffed with "stuff" -- pottery, linens, books, old photo frames, costume jewelry and junque. In the world of flea markets, this is the template. Mary Kay Morrow and David Goldstein started the biz as an antiques store in the late '80s. In 1997, they added a restaurant, keeping the art and "antiques." The purely vegetarian and vegan menu features excellent, delicious dishes, such as veggie spring rolls with peanut sauce and curried apple soup, creamy pies and chocolate chip cookies. Huge list of teas and smoothies. Eggs are served at Sunday brunch.

Franchises Not Covered
Roly Poly may be a franchise, but the food is fun and personalized -- design your own tortilla-wrap sandwich. The best part is that a Frequent Customer Card is punched just like Kaufmanns' bra and panty card. Buy 10, get one free.

Also Burger King, Bruegger's Bagels, Taco Bell, KFC, Pizza Hut and Subway.

Bars Not covered
Carson and off-Carson streets boast a huge collection of bars to satisfy any tipple: Joyce's Pub, Dee's Cafe, Jack's, Roman Room, Young's, Casey's, Blues Cafe, Intermission Lounge, Smokin' Joe's, Zytho, Lava Lounge and Margaritaville, with a new paint job you can see from Dormont.

Food writer Marlene Parrish lives on Mount Washington.

Correction/Clarification: (Published Aug. 21, 2002) In a map accompanying the story, Supping on the South Side, last Thursday, the location of The 17th Street Cafe was given incorrectly. It is on 17th Street 30 yards off Carson toward the river.