P I T T S B U R G H
1. Sultry F&B
When chefs Melissa Barth and Brian Forrester moved from Phoenix to Pittsburgh, they were surprised to discover quirky food trends they hadn’t encountered before. That included fries on salads (what?!) and tables of homemade cookies at weddings. The latter trend especially intrigued the couple, so they set out to class up traditional buckeyes — peanut butter and powdered sugar cookies dipped in chocolate — when they opened Sultry F&B in Pittsburgh’s Smallman Galley food hall last summer.
“I made it into a fully composed dessert — a peanut butter mousse and dark chocolate ganache dribbled over top. It was a homage to that cookie table,” says Barth of her Buckeye Bomb version ($7).
The Culinary Institute of America graduate divulges she’s a science nerd about baking, explaining that she has to whip the peanut butter and cream at a precise speed to keep the mousse airy.
“You’re incorporating air [bubbles] into peanut butter molecules,” Barth says. “You can’t do it too quickly because you’ll burst them.”
To emulate a buckeye, she freezes the mousse in a round mold and carefully pours on ganache, leaving a peanut butter eye. The plate is garnished with streusel crumble aside caramelized banana pastry cream and macerated berries that cut the richness.
They might be the new chefs in town, but their culinary treat has won over locals. “They took that first bite — it’s creamy and light,” Barth says. “A lot of people were pleasantly surprised.”
2. Gaucho Parilla: There’s consistently a line out the door, but locals attest it’s worth the wait. Many come for the Asado platter ($55) with toast, chimichurri and five cuts of steak — flank, strip, sirloin, filet, rib-eye — wood-fired on an Argentinian grill. Bring your crew — it’s a whopping 25 ounces of delectable smoky meat. 146 Sixth St. this spring, Pittsburgh
3. Penn Avenue Fish Co.: Fishmongers use a soup spoon to carefully scape the fattiest part of the tuna off the bone for their Crazy Tuna rolls ($12.99). “The closer to the bone the tastier the meat,” says Owner Henry Dewey. Crispy shrimp tempura, caviar, avocado and a Sriracha-based sauce complete one of the freshest tuna rolls around. 2208 Penn Ave., Pittsburgh
While You’re There: Get lost in the culinary maze of ethnic markets, street vendors and specialty shops along Penn Avenue. Make sure to grab nutty Ossau-Iraty French sheep’s milk cheese from Pennsylvania Macaroni Co. 2010 Penn Ave., Pittsburgh
