French influences differentiate Park Bruges from its older sibling, Point Brugge
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Gerber Farms Roasted Half Chicken served with a pan sauce, Bruges frites and sauteed vegetables, along with a house salad tossed with champagne vinaigrette prepared by Chef Kevin Hunninen at the newly opened Park Bruges in Highland Park.
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Neighborhood restaurants are precious establishments. Comfortable, unpretentious and affordable, they welcome spontaneous visits, but can just as easily stretch into a celebration. Living within walking distance of such a place is the holy grail of many a city-dweller.
Point Brugge, the Belgian-inspired bistro in Point Breeze, has long defined that category in Pittsburgh. Now, after several years of delays, sister restaurant Park Bruges has settled into a corner storefront in the Bryant Street business district of Highland Park.
Park Bruges is larger than its older sibling, and slightly more elegant, with dark wooden floors, gray walls and gracefully curving pendant lamps that cast a warm glow throughout the room and onto the street.
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5801 Bryant St.
Highland Park
412-661-3334
- Hours: Lunch, Tuesday-Friday 11 a.m.-3 p.m.; dinner, Tuesday-Saturday, 3-10 p.m., Sunday, 3-9 p.m.; brunch, Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
- Basics: A handsome new addition to Highland Park, this French-inflected, American bistro rounds out well-prepared dishes with a great beer list.
- Prices: Small plates, $5-$15; soup and salad, $3.50-$15; dinners, $16-$26; sandwiches, $8-$11; desserts, $7.
- Drink: The beer-focused restaurant has five rotating taps; more than two dozen bottled Belgian beers and two dozen more additional beers, all divided by style, $3.50-$11; small but diverse wine list and a half-dozen house cocktails also available.
- Summary: Wheelchair accessible; credit cards accepted; reservations accepted only at lunch and only for parties of 5 or more; corkage, $10.
- Noise level: medium-loud.
As at Point Brugge, Belgian beers are well-represented, but Park Bruges offers a wider variety of beer styles, including a great selection of large-format bottles. There's also a slightly expanded wine list and a nice assortment of cocktails. Try the Rte. 8 Mule, icy cool in its metal cup, spicy ginger beer perfectly balanced by a measure of vodka ($9).
The food menus share some superficial similarities, but Park Bruges' incorporates new dishes and dispenses with others. Executive chef Kevin Hunninen, previously at Point Brugge, is now running the Highland Park kitchen, while his former sous chef, James McCaslin, has taken over in Point Breeze. Point Brugge emphasizes the Flemish side of Belgian food, while Park Bruges has more of a French influence, hence the different spelling of the names, Mr. Hunninen said.
First Published April 14, 2011 12:00 am
