Don't look for the sign, because it isn't there yet, and the phone was jokingly answered "Domino's Pizza" when I called last week, but Pizzeria Regina Margherita Lawrenceville is now officially open at 3801 Butler St.
The new shop is the fraternal twin of the pizzeria of the same name in Bellevue, where pizzaiolo Roberto Caporuscio fires his fabulously simple, thin crusts, topped by imported tomatoes, fresh herbs and genuine buffalo mozzarella. The Lawrenceville location is an outlet for the same pizza, salads and desserts as those served in Bellevue.
Closed Mondays; call 412-622-0111.
Polish brunch
This Sunday, Herbs & Spices will be slinging haluski in Friendship, giving the local church ladies a run for their money as they lay out a solid Polish brunch of simple, filling foods with beautiful names at the Quiet Storm Cafe, Friendship. Polish is the March theme of the Quiet Storm's monthly series of ethnic brunches.
Try a hunk of kartoshnik (potato, onion and cheese bake) with a side of kasha. Also featured are vegan stuffed cabbage rolls (golbki), cucumber salad (mizeria), crepes filled with cheese and jam (nalesniki) and the bread Jerry Seinfeld mugged an elderly woman for, chocolate babka. Call 412-661-9355 or see www.herbsandspices.net.
Winterfest
Instead of cursing these dreary dregs of winter, celebrate the icy season at Church Brew Works Winterfest, tomorrow and Saturday. The brewmaster has prepared a beechwood-smoked Winterfest beer and belly-warming rattlesnake white bean chili will be dished out. Call 412-688-8200.
Wine dinner
Franco's Trattoria in Dormont is featuring California wines selected by Jerry Bauer of Southern Wine and Spirits at its wine dinner tomorrow (reception at 6 p.m.; dinner at 7).
The menu features a 2000 pinot noir from Byron, Hangtime in Santa Maria Valley, accompanying potato-crusted sea scallops with sweet jalapeno relish and savory corn puree; a Bernardus Sauvignon Blanc 1999 from Monterey County, served with a langostino bisque, wilted spinach and roasted lobster; a Ferrari Carano Zinfandel 2000 from Sonoma County alongside Niman Ranch's pan-seared tenderloin of pork with sweet piquillo peppers, gorgonzola cheese and horseradish crust over butternut squash ravioli. Call 412-531-6900. Cost is $60 per person plus gratuity.
In tomorrow's Weekend Mag, Sarah Billingsley reviews The Colony in Scott.
Sarah Billingsley can be reached at sbillingsley@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1661. If you have news for Dining Out, send it to Sarah Billingsley, The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 34 Blvd. of the Allies, Pittsburgh, PA 15222. Items must be received by 10 a.m. Monday to be included in that Thursday's column.
E-mail this story 
